Clarification of the taxonomic status of Gyalidea asteriscus (Gomphillaceae) in Russia

The lichen Gyalidea asteriscus is known in Russia from Southern Siberia (Altai, Western and Eastern Sayan, Baikal region, and the Republic of Buryatia). During the study of terricolous lichens collected in the summer 2024 in the vicinity of Sarma village (Baikal region), specimens of G. asteriscus with wide paraphyses, small asci, short and thin ascospores were found and identified as G. asteriscus subsp. gracilispora. After that, we revised all the herbarium material of the Irkutsk State University (IRKU) attributed to this species, and realized that all these specimens also belong to G. asteriscus subsp. gracilispora. Perhaps, all Asian specimens belong to this subspecies, however, additional study of the collections from the western regions of Siberia and Kyrgyzstan is required.