Cryptic species
cryptic species (noun, pl. cryptic species) – a species that is difficult to recognize by traditional characters such as the morphology or anatomy; the concept was initially introduced to distinguish extremely similar species that were biological (sexually, reproductively) isolated. In lichens (and fungi) sexual mechanisms or even breeding systems are very poorly understood. Chemotypic variation especially of the complex secondary chemistry of lichens has therefore been proposed as an alternative to distinguish cryptic species. Unfortunately very little is known, if chemotypic variation indeed corresponds with reproductive processed.
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