The new obligately lichenicolous fungus, Melaspilea tucumana Flakus, Etayo & Kukwa, inhabiting thalli of saxicolous Pertusaria s. lat. is described from Tucumano-Boliviano vegetation in Bolivia. The species is characterized by the gall formation and superficial, lirelliform to branched, aggregated apothecioid ascomata with widely exposed discs. The ascomata of M. tucumana are initially perithecioid and immersed in the host thallus, but become superficial and apothecioid when mature, and thus resemble the genus Buelliella. This may suggest the placement of the new species in Dothideomycetes.

Aspiciliopsis macrophthalma, Placopsis fusciduloides, P. gelidioides and P. tararuana are reported for the first time from southern South America. New records for 13 species of Placopsis in southern South America are reported, and a revised key to 22 species of Placopsis and A. macrophthalma in the region is given.

The terricolous species Verrucaria xyloxena Norm, and V. bryoctona (Th. Fr.) A. Orange comb. nov. are described and figured. Verrucaria sibirica Zahlbr. is described briefly and the interpretation of the name V. velutina (Bernh.) Ach. is discussed.

Amandinea crassiuscula Giralt & Etayo, a new corticolous lichen species is described from the Iberian Peninsula. It is characterized by a thickly crustose to subsquamulose thallus that lacks secondary lichen compounds, lecideine apothecia, Buellia–type ascospores with rugulate ornamentation and filiform spermatia. The new species is compared with other corticolous Amandinea and Buellia species, such as A. punctata and B. chloroleuca. Habit photographs of the new species and illustrations of its thallus, spermatia and ascospores are also provided.

Caloplaca tropica Y. Joshi & Upreti, is described as new to science and belongs to the Sideritis group in the lichen genus Caloplaca. Caloplaca hueana (section Cocciniodiscus), C. squamosa (Squamosa group) and C. pollinii are reported for the first time from India.

The generic name Globosphaeria D. Hawksw. gen. nov. is introduced for the single species G. jamesii D. Hawksw. sp. nov. discovered on squamules of the lichen Normandina pulchella (Borrer) Nyl. collected in Tasmania. It is commensalistic or perhaps mutualistic. The genus is characterized by dark perithecioid ascomata, filiform paraphyses, thin-walled asci, and uniseriate thick-walled globose hyaline ascospores. It cannot easily be accommodated in any accepted order, and is tentatively referred to the Xylariales pending the discovery of fresh material.

Four anthraquinones were isolated from the foliose lichen, Lasallia papulosa (Ach.) Llano. Two of the anthraquinones are known compounds, previously isolated from Lasallia papulosa, while the other two were reported previously as secondary metabolites from laboratory-cultured Nephroma laevigatum, and are isolated here for the first time from lichens in their natural habitat. All compounds were characterized by UV spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The products were identified as 7-chloroemodin, valsarin (7-chloro-5-hydroxyemodin), 5-chloro-1-O-methylemodin and 5-chloro-1-O-methyl-ω-hydroxyemodin.

Placoparmelia patagonica Henssen gen. et sp. nov. is described from two localities in Argentina. The placodioid thallus of P. patagonica has a primitive paraplectenchymatous upper cortex in parts but is devoid of a clearly defined lower cortex, true rhizines or tufts of rhizoidal hyphae. The upper surface is minutely porous and reacts HNO3 + blue-green indicating the presence of glomellifera brown. Norstictic acid with small amounts of connorstictic and cryptostictic acid, and a trac of an unknown substance were detected by TLC. The ontogeny and structure of the apothecia and pycnidia correspond to those of the Parmeliaceae. The anatomy of the thallus in P. patagonica is compared with that in Neofuscelia squamariata, N. pulla and Parmelia saxatilis.

Macro-morphological features traditionally used to segregate genera in Parmeliaceae have been shown to be highly plastic, placing limits on their taxonomic value. Here we aim to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of the genera Relicina and Relicinopsis and reassess the phenotypic features traditionally used to separate these genera. To this end, we gathered ribosomal DNA sequences of ITS, nuLSU and mtSSU and analyzed them in a phylogenetic framework. Relicina was recovered as paraphyletic, with Relicinopsis nested within, and three different clades were identified within Relicina. Alternative hypothesis tests significantly rejected the monophyly of Relicina. Our results indicate that the presence or absence of bulbate cilia is of limited taxonomic value in this clade. Based on differences in conidia, however, we propose to accept Relicinopsis as a subgenus within Relicina as Relicina subgen. Relicinopsis (Elix & Verdon) Kirika, Divakar & Lumbsch. It is proposed that five new combinations of species previously classified in Relicinopsis be placed in Relicina.

A strain of the lichen mycobiont of Caloplaca erythrantha, isolated from ascospores, was cultured axenically on different solid media. Four of the media employed supported the development of colonies and production of the two major lichen secondary metabolites. These media were: BMYE (mannitol 2%, yeast extract 0·1%, in Bold's basal medium); MEYE (malt extract 2%, yeast extract 0·2%, in distilled water); Hamada's MY10 (malt extract 1%, yeast extract 0·4%, sucrose 10%, in distilled water); and the new BMRM (Bold mannitol rich medium, mannitol 5·3%, malt extract 1%, yeast extract 0·4% in Bold's mineral medium). Percentages refer to final medium volume. The fungal colonies developed well on the four media and produced emodin and 7-chloroemodin, the major secondary compounds of the lichen apothecia. Crystals deposited richly on the external surface of the hyphae, as observed with an optical microscope. The two anthraquinones were purified from the lichen thallus, apothecia and cultured mycelia, and identified by chromatographic (TLC, HPLC) and spectroscopic (NMR, MS) methods. The analysis of lichen apothecia revealed the presence of emodin (0·90% w/w) and 7-chloroemodin (0·56% w/w), whereas colonies cultured for five months generally produced higher percentages than the lichen: 1·72% emodin and 0·30% 7-chloroemodin on BMYE; 0·21% and 0·95% on MEYE; 7·82% and 7·48% on MY10; and 11·70% and 10·80% on BMRM. These results show that the production of both anthraquinones was promoted significantly in mycobiont cultures with high concentrations of the carbon sources sucrose or mannitol, with a higher effect being observed with the latter.

Hydration traits determine much of a lichen’s distribution pattern along a climatic gradient but the mechanisms involved are still incompletely known. A higher abundance of large external cephalodia in wet oceanic than in drier climates has previously been reported in Lobaria amplissima. This study aims to quantify how much more rain L. amplissima thalli with external cephalodia would need to fill their internal water holding capacity (WHCinternal) than thalli without. The mean WHCinternal was 1·8 times higher in thalli with external cephalodia than in those without. The WHCinternal when converted to mm rain needed to saturate an average specimen was 1·37 mm (min–max: 0·55–3·8 mm) for a cephalodiate thallus, whereas an average thallus without external cephalodia needed just 0·76 mm (min–max: 0·36–1·3 mm). Known dewfall rates and rates of water uptake from humid air are far below what is needed to saturate even the cephalodiate thallus with the lowest WHCinternal, implying a stronger dependency on rain for thalli with external cephalodia. Thus, the observed trends in this study are consistent with earlier reports of decreasing frequency of external cephalodia from wet to drier climates.

Molecular studies have shown the type collection of Omphalina oreades to be conspecific with a small brown basidiolichen from the Appalachian range in Newfoundland, both with 4-spored basidia. Two sequences deposited in GenBank, originally identified as O. grisella, fell in the same clade. Sequences of the type collection of Omphalia grisella, with 2-spored basidia, formed a sister clade together with two GenBank deposits, one identified as O. grisella and the other as Omphalina velutina. Omphalina oreades is recombined here as Lichenomphalia oreades comb. nov., and the species redescribed and illustrated. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) from the algae associated with two collections of L. oreades fell within a highly supported clade with members of an undetermined species of Coccomyxa. The most abundant algal ribosomal large subunit sequence from granules at the base of a different collection matched GenBank sequences identified as Chloroidium ellipsoideum, which is probably either a free-living algal species or a partner to a species of Trapeliopsis. The second most abundant sequence matched Coccomyxa subellipsoidea and is the most likely photobiont of L. oreades. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship of L. velutina to these taxa.

Bactrospora dryina is an epiphytic lichen-forming fungus specifically related to old-growth floodplain forests, which have dramatically declined in Europe over the past centuries. In order to promote conservation management of such forest remnants, we aimed to study population genetics of this rare and threatened lichen. The newly developed 16 microsatellite markers are specific for the mycobiont of B. dryina and reliably amplify either single fruiting bodies or a sterile thallus. This allows the use of these markers for the identification of sterile crusts and for quantification of recent dispersal of the species into restored habitats. We tested the markers in 264 samples collected from 10 pedunculate oak trees growing in three localities in north-eastern Switzerland. All markers were polymorphic and showed two to five alleles per locus, and unbiased gene diversity varied from 0·06 to 0·71 over three populations. The relatively low number of alleles in B. dryina is possibly the consequence of colonization of secondary habitats created by forest management. Although oaks were largely covered with a single, continuous B. dryina colony, the microsatellite markers identified single or complex multi-genotype colonizations per tree. For future population genetic studies, we recommend collection of 5–15 specimens from one tree which would enable detection of 60–80% of the multilocus genotypes present. Hierarchical AMOVA revealed high variation (70%) on host trees, and a relatively high differentiation (12%) among the three locations in NE Switzerland indicated limited gene flow between those regions. Thus, the newly developed markers showed their applicability in population genetics at different spatial scales. They will play an important role in monitoring habitat restoration for the conservation of B. dryina and associated forests and riverscapes.

A description is given of the corticolous, sciaphilous lichen associations Ramonio-Stiguletum mediterraneae Bricaud & Roux ass. nov. and Striguletum affinis Bricaud & Roux ass. nov. These associations occur mainly in mesomediterranean Quercus ilex forests and less usually in mesomediterranean or supramediterranean Quercus pubescens forests. The former usually grow on the more or less decayed rhytidome of Quercus ilex, the latter exclusively on Hedera helix trunks.

The new name Aspicilia berntii is proposed to accommodate Lecanora mastoidea Lynge in Aspicilia and a lectotype is designated. Additional characters are added to the species description and a comparison is made with similar species. The species is reported as new to Scandinavia with localities in northern Norway. An assessement of the phylogenetic relationships, based on a split network analysis of ITS sequences, places A. berntii close to A. verrucigera in the A. cinerea group.

Bactrospora flavopruinosa F. Berger & Aptroot is described as a new lignicolous lichen from Bermuda, characterized by the yellow pruinose apothecia and filiform ascospores.

A new Scoliciosporum is described from rainforest in Madagascar. It superficially resembles S. pruinosum, but has an arachnoid hypothallus and prothallus and an olivaceous hypothecium and excipulum.

Enterographa fellhaneroides and E. meklitiae are described as new to science from Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya. The latter overgrows the thallus of a foliicolous non-filamentous Coenogonium and the former most probably has the same ecology. Both species appear to be closely related to E. brezhonega and E. epiphyllum.