A new species, Byssoloma orientale K. Miyaz. & Y. Ohmura, is described from East Asia. It is characterized by a minutely farinose light green thallus, apothecia with a well-developed byssoid margin that spreads laterally over the thallus surface, a pure black apothecial disc caused by the presence of an aeruginous pigment in the epithecium, (7–)9–12(–17)-septate cylindrical colourless ascospores, and oblong conidia. This species grows on living leaves as well as on tree bark. The molecular phylogenetic position of B. orientale within this genus was inferred based on mtSSU sequences, and the species was shown to be closely related to B. vanderystii, which has up to 7-septate ascospores and an absence of aeruginous pigment in the epithecium.

Two new species of the lichenized genus Lasioloma are described from Asia: Lasioloma longiramosum W. C. Wang & A. Abas (collected from Malaysia), is characterized by a distinct woolly prothallus between dispersed thallus patches, comparatively small, muriform ascospores, long filiform conidia (main branch 22–28 μm in length, the other three branches 65–80 μm) and a foliicolous habitat; L. verrucosum W. C. Wang & X. L. Wei (collected from China), is characterized by a warted thallus, filiform conidia (main branch 22–32 μm in length, the other three branches 50–65 μm) and a corticolous habitat. The placement of both new species was confirmed by a molecular phylogenetic approach based on combined ITS, mtSSU and mtLSU sequences, and both are compared in detail to other similar species of the genus. Our study also revealed that the length of the conidial branches, which has not been explored in previous studies, should be regarded as an important feature for species delimitation in Lasioloma.

The effect of glyphosate on growth and reproduction of two pathogenic fungi of green peas was evaluated in laboratory studies. Liquid and agar media containing 0 to 50 mM glyphosate were inoculated with two isolates each of Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi and Pythium ultimum. Mycelial growth and spore production of the fungi were inhibited or stimulated by glyphosate, depending on concentration. Glyphosate did not affect pathogenicity of F. solani f. sp. pisi. The effect of glyphosate on pathogenicity of P. ultimum was not determined. Under field conditions, glyphosate probably would not affect pathogenicity or survival of either fungus.

A fungal pathogen, Helminthosporium gramineum Rabehn f.sp. echinochloae (HGE), has been developed as a mycoherbicidal agent for the control of barnyardgrass in China. Under greenhouse conditions, the effect of the pathogen on disease incidence, mortality, and dry weight reduction of barnyardgrass was tested to determine the potential of this mycoherbicide. Field experiments during 2007 and 2008 showed that the conidia of HGE displayed excellent activity on barnyardgrass and good activity on a few other weed species. The HGE treatment increased the rice yield when compared with the untreated control and had no negative impact on the rice plant. In addition, the progression of HGE infection and the alteration of cellular ultrastructure in infected barnyardgrass were observed by using scanning and transmission electron microscopes. After infection, cell membranes of barnyardgrass leaves were found dramatically changed, and the ultrastructure of cells was severely deformed. This study clearly shows the scope of HGE as a potential mycoherbicide for control of barnyardgrass in agricultural cropping systems and has laid the groundwork for further studies on the mode of infection and the nosogenesis of HGE.

Thamnolia vermicularis is a globally widespread arctic-alpine lichen with two distinct chemotypes. The intermixing of these chemotypes at the local scale and lack of genetic variation between them is puzzling given the apparent absence of specialized reproductive structures. Apothecia and conidiomata were originally reported for Thamnolia in the second half of the 19th century, but putative apothecia proved to be parasitic in origin. This study presents conclusive microscopic evidence for the existence of pycnidial conidiomata containing conidia on thalli of Thamnolia vermicularis from geographically widespread locations. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA from excised pycnidial conidiomata matched that of thallus tips from individual Thamnolia thalli. Our examination of the historic literature found that the occurrence of pycnidial conidiomata was never disproved, but this information was lost from the post-1920s English-language literature. Our rediscovery of pycnidial conidiomata indicates that Thamnolia vermicularis possesses a reproductive strategy with the potential for long-distance dispersal of multitudes of mitotically produced conidia, providing a plausible explanation for the cosmopolitan distribution of the species and the low levels of genetic variation among populations. Reversible processes, for example alternative splicing, warrant consideration as explanations for chemotype intermixing.

The species assigned to the genus Catillochroma are reassessed. The two characters used to characterize Catillochroma, exciple anatomy and thalline chemistry, are shown to be variable and contradictory with a number of intermediates. Consequently, Catillochroma is reduced to synonymy with Megalaria, and the species previously placed in Catillochroma transferred, or returned, to Megalaria. As such, the following new combinations are proposed: Megalaria anaglyptica, M. endochroma, M. intermiscens and M. leptocheila. The genus Lopezaria is also shown to be related to Megalaria and to be closely related to the type species of Catillochroma, C. endochroma, and so is also reduced to synonymy with Megalaria. A number of species found to have been misplaced in Catillaria are also transferred to Megalaria: M. leucochlora, M. melanopotamica, M. obludens, M. pannosa and M. phaeolomiza. Megalaria imshaugii is reduced to synonymy with M. obludens, Megalaria pannosa is reported for the first time from North America and Lopezaria isidiza is reported for the first time from outside Asia from Jamaica.

Petractis nodispora is described as a new species, characterized by an endolithic thallus with Trentepohlia as photobiont, immersed apothecia, 3-septate, halonate ascospores, and very distinctive multicellular conidia. Nuclear ribosomal SSU and LSU sequences show that it is closely related to P. luetkemuelleri, but its relationship to the type species of Petractis, P. clausa, is unclear.

A revision of the Lecanora saligna-group is provided, based on specimens mainly from western and central Europe. Four new Lecanora species related to L. saligna are described: L. calabrica, L. coppinsii, L. pseudosarcopidoides and L. subsaligna, as well as a new variety, L. albellula var. macroconidiata. The species treated have in common relatively short and ± curved or bacilliform conidia and/or isousnic acid as a secondary metabolite. Species without isousnic acid, containing exclusively filiform conidia are excluded. Notes on various types of conidia (macroconidia, microconidia, mesoconidia and leptoconidia), morphology, ecology, chemistry and distribution are given and a key to the treated species is provided. Detailed descriptions are presented for eight related species in order to highlight the distinguishing characters.