Hypotrachyna is a speciose genus of primarily tropical and oceanic lichen-forming fungi. It includes species with distinct distribution patterns, such as pantropical, restricted and disjunct species. We used a dataset of mitochondrial SSU, nuclear ITS and LSU ribosomal DNA from 89 specimens to study the historical biogeography of the genus. We employed Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches for phylogenetic analyses, a likelihood-based approach to ancestral area estimation, and a Bayesian approach to estimate divergence times of major lineages within the genus based on molecular evolutionary rates for ITS and a secondary calibration point at the Hypotrachyna clade – Parmeliopsis split. Our analyses suggest that the genus might have originated in the Neotropics during the Eocene and that the split of major lineages happened primarily during the Eocene and Oligocene. The major diversification within those clades is estimated to have occurred during the Miocene. Pantropical species distributions are explained by long-distance dispersal. A number of currently accepted species were found to be non-monophyletic, illustrating that the delimitation of species in the genus needs attention.

Two new species, Mazosia lueckingii Kr. P. Singh & Pinokiyo and Sporopodium awasthianum Kr. P. Singh & Pinokiyo and a new variety, Aspidothelium scutellicarpum R. Lücking var. indicum Kr. P. Singh & Pinokiyo, are described.

The new species, Lecanora luteomarginata and L. subpraesistens, are described from northern India. The first is characterized by apothecia with dark brown discs and bright yellow margins, while L. subpraesistens is a multispored species that is readily distinguished by an egranulose epihymenium and a melacarpella-type amphithecium.

Two species of the lichen genus Carbacanthographis, namely C. marcescens and a new species, C. sorediata, are reported from India. The new species is characterized by a sorediate thallus, laterally carbonized exciple, submuriform ascospores, and salazinic and consalazinic acids in the thallus. A worldwide key to the species of Carbacanthographis is provided.

Peltigera didactyla (With.) J. R. Laundon has a cosmopolitan distribution, but in the Antarctic it is very restricted and is nowhere common or abundant, occurring at a number of sites in the northern maritime Antarctic extending to 65°S (Øvstedal & Lewis-Smith, 2001). Within its Antarctic distribution it appears to be most frequent on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Typically, this species grows as small colonies amongst mosses in relatively dry, gravelly, sheltered habitats, forming aggregations of lobed sorediate thalli up to c. 10–15 (rarely to c. 25) cm diameter.

Meridianelia maccarthyana Kantvilas & Lumbsch, gen. et sp. nov., is described, based on collections from Tasmania. This taxon represents only the second member of the family Elixiaceae. It is compared to Elixia flexella (Ach.) Lumbsch and to the superficially similar genus Trapelia. The family Elixiaceae is redefined briefly to account for the inclusion of a second genus.

The new species Placynthium arachnoideum Henssen is described from Patagonia. The lichen is characterized by incurved lobes retaining in part the false branching of the Scytonema phycobiont, and by two-celled, thick-walled spores with a perforated septum. Some localities in the Southern Hemisphere are given for P. asperellum, P. nigrum and P. subradiatum.

The distribution and succession of epiphytic and other associated lichens on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) growing on the shingle at Dungeness is described. Some 33 epiphytic species, which exhibited a range of ecological strategies from pioneer to late colonizers, were recorded. Both the rate of change of status (age) of blackthorns and the progress of lichen colonization seemed to depend on whether the bushes were growing directly on shingle or on adjacent alluvial soil; both processes seeming to be more rapid on the former substratum. Terricolous lichens, of which 18 were recorded, generally appeared late in the succession and mostly amongst bushes growing on shingle. Rabbits often invaded the blackthorns, especially those on alluvium, and probably contributed to the lack of terrestrial lichens under these bushes. Blackthorns growing on shingle tended to be more prostrate in form than those on alluvium.

A description of the polysporous Buellia dives (Th. Fr.) Th. Fr. is provided. It is distinct from Buellia polysporella (Nyl.) Arnold, with which it has been placed in synonomy, by the lecideine (versus lecanorine) apothecia, the dark brown (versus colourless) hypothecium and the Buellia-type (versus Physcia-type) ascospores. Further, B. polysporella is shown to be conspecific with Rinodina polyspora Th. Fr. and is reduced to synonomy with that species. Buellia dives is reported as new to Norway and Spain and notes on its ecology and distribution are given.

Porina bryophila P. M. McCarthy & Kantvilas is described from living and moribund epiphytic bryophytes in Tasmanian rainforest. The diversity, ecological groups and biogeographical affinities of Tasmanian Trichotheliaceae, currently comprising 25 taxa, are discussed.

Two new species of Mycobilimbia are described from Spain. Mycobilimbia olwacea has a minutely squamulose and olivaceous thalli and dark reddish brown apothecia, colourless inside; it has been found at middle to high altitudes (from 900 to 1750 m), growing on humid tree bases of Pinus nigra and lignum of Quercus pyrenaica. Mycobilimbia parvilobulosa is closely related to M. berengeriana, but differs markedly by its squamulose thalli, with crenate to subdigitiform margins, dark reddish brown excipulum and colourless epithecium. It grows on moss-covered old trunks of fagaceous trees. The new taxa are compared with M. berengeriana, M. hypnorum and M. sanguineoatra and their main distinguishing characters are tabulated.

The genus Australiaena (lichenized Ascomycetes, Physciaceae) with the single species A. streimannii sp. nov. is described as new from tropical Australasia. Morphologically it is characterized by crustose thalli with an often radiate-plicate margin, ascospores with a type-B ontogeny, and filiform spermatia. The chemistry of this taxon is diverse (lobaric acid, conlobaric acid, xanthones, gyrophoric acid, lecanoric acid, 5-O- ethylhiascic acid, perlatolic acid), and three chemotypes are distinguished.

A new corticolous species of Buellia is described from La Palma and La Gomera (Canary Islands). It is mainly characterized by its strongly ornamented, (l-2)-3-septate ascospores with apical and septa thickenings, which follow an ascospore-ontogeny of type B, and its chemistry. The new species is compared with the related Buellia lauricassiae (Fée) Mü. Arg. and B. lauricassiaeoides Aptroot. Illustrations of the ascospores of B. laurocanariensis and B. lauricassiaeoides are presented. A habit photograph of the new species is also provided.

Menegazzia wandae Bjerke from Chile is newly described. It is characterized by lacerate soraliathat are formed on laminar pustules; the sinuous, rather imbricate lobes with brown-black margins, and the presence of thamnolic acid in the medulla. Apothecia are unknown, and pycnidia are rare. The species is known from Chile between latitudes 38°30´S and 46°40´S.

The new lichenicolous fungus Gelatinopsis roccellae is described from NW Spain, where it grows on Roccella fuciformis and R. phycopsis. It differs from G. ericewrum, which grows on Dibaeis, by the shorter ascospores, smaller ascomata, and the absence of an olivaceous excipular and epihymenial pigment.