During a revision of epiphytic species of the Lecanora subfusca group in the Czech Republic, nine taxa were recorded. Lecanora cinereofusca, although reported for the first time from the country here, is considered to be extinct, as is L. horiza. Lecanora circumborealis has been excluded from the list of Czech lichens. Lecanora rugosella and L. subrugosa respectively are regarded as extreme morphological forms of L. chlarotera and L. argentata, ecologically derived through nutrient enrichment (eutrophication). Lecanora laevis is regarded as a morphotype of L. horiza. An identification key is provided. The importance of the amphithecium and cortex type as taxonomic characters is discussed in detail. Several new secondary metabolites belonging to the terpenoids, discovered during an investigation of lichen compounds, proved to be taxonomically important. The abundance of L. allophana and L. chlarotera has decreased during the second half of the 20th century, but L. pulicaris has expanded. The main reasons for these changes are air pollution and acidification of substrata; L. pulicaris, for example, formerly a predominant lichen on acid-barked trees, today grows mainly on trees with slightly acidic or subneutral bark.

The original material of Sphinctrina tigillaris, collected in 1864, was relocated, re-examined, found to represent a species of Chaenothecopsis, and is transferred to that genus as C. tigillaris comb. nov. It occurred on a specimen of a polypore, now identified as Perenniporia meridionalis, on a beam in a Northamptonshire church, and does not appear to have been collected since. Perenniporia meridionalis is a predominantly central and southern European species which has not previously been recognized in the British Isles, although other English specimens have now been located in collections at Kew and referred to the related P. medulla-panis. The name Sphinctrina tigillaris had been overlooked since its original description in 1865, and is nomenclaturally distinct from Lichen tigillaris, the basionym of Cyphelium tigillare. Notes on five other calicioid fungi found on polypores, and a key to the six now known, are also included.

This review is a first attempt to combine and compare spatial distribution of the three main water sources, rain, dew and humid air, with water-related traits of mainly epiphytic macrolichens in a conceptual and functional model. By comparing climatic and lichenological knowledge, various effects of dewfall, rainfall and humid air on epiphytic lichen morphology and function are analyzed to search for traits and patterns. Although dew, rain and humid air cause lichen hydration and activate photosynthesis, these atmospheric hydration sources influence and shape lichens differently. In order to visualize hydration patterns, dew, rain and humid air are shown as corners in a triangle exhibiting the various combinations of these hydration sources. The sources of hydration vary on temporal scales, and on the spatial scales: regional, landscape, stand and tree. Lichen growth form, photobiont type, water-holding capacity (WHC) and suprasaturation depression show clear patterns within the hydration triangle. For most lichen species, one average pre-dawn dewfall approximately fills their average internal WHC. This suggests that lichens are optimally designed to utilize dew rather than rain, consistent with literature emphasizing dew as a driver for annual C-assimilation in chlorolichens. However, rain is needed to fill their external WHC and to fully hydrate most cyanolichens. Including the sources of hydration and internal lichen variables, such as water-holding capacity, will improve modelling of local and global future scenarios on lichen distribution and biomass production.

The taxonomy of species related to Verrucaria praetermissa is investigated using morphological and molecular data. Verrucaria devensis is closely related to V. praetermissa but distinguished by the darker colour, the thinner and more uneven thallus, and the ITS sequence. This species is based on Leucocarpopsis devensis G. Salisb., which was originally described as the type species of a monotypic genus differing from Verrucaria by the absence of dark pigment. Verrucaria lapidicola is a new species from stones in non-aquatic situations; it is related to V. praetermissa and V. elaeina but differs in the very thin thallus and ITS sequence.

The crustose genus Staurothele (Verrucariaceae, Ascomycota) is a common component of the lichen flora from subneutral to alkaline silicate rocks in temperate to cold-temperate climates. Our field study in the karst system of northern Vietnam showed that it is also common on dry to humid limestone in the wet tropics. Molecular data revealed that species of Staurothele from Vietnam belong to an unnamed clade sister to the genus Endocarpon, together with the tropical Australian species Staurothele pallidopora and Staurothele diffractella, a North American species recently transferred to Endocarpon based on molecular data. The genus Willeya is here resurrected for this clade of crustose epilithic Staurothele with pale ascospores. Eight new combinations are proposed and three new species of Willeya are described from Vietnam. Sampling tropical members of a lichen family previously mostly known from temperate areas contributed significantly to improving its generic classification.

Heteroacanthella ellipsospora is described as new to science. It is the only known lichenicolous Heteroacanthella, always found parasitizing apothecia and the surrounding thallus of the crustose epiphytic lichen Lecanora carpinea. The new parasite has so far only been found in two Spanish provinces, Jaén and Madrid. The shape and size of its basidiospores, the basidia with acanthoid ornamentation, acanthohyphidia, as well as its parasitic lichenicolous habitat, with a replacement of host tissues by the parasite hymenium, are useful diagnostic characters.

Six new species of foliicolous lichenized fungi are described as new to science from lowland rainforest in the Congo Basin: Bapalmuia serusiauxiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Pilocarpaceae) characterized by (7–)15(–19)-septate ascospores of (40–)50–65(–72)×1·5–2·5 μm, Microtheliopsis ramazaniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Microtheliopsidaceae) characterized by 1-septate ascospores of 13–16×3–5 μm, Phylloblastiaverheyeniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Verrucariaceae) characterized by 3-septate ascospores of 13–15(–17)×3·0–4·5 μm, Porina duduana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by 3-septate ascospores of 11·0–14·5×2·5–3·0 μm, perithecia 130–150(–170) μm diam. and a photobiont with angular-rounded and irregularly arranged cells, Porina gryseelsiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by orange-brown perithecia and 7–9(–12)-septate ascospores of 29–46×5·0–7·5 μm, Porina weghiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by the presence of disc-shaped isidia, yellow perithecia without apical appendages and (7–)9-septate ascospores of 33–50×5·0–6·5 μm. In addition, 53 species new for the Democratic Republic of the Congo are listed, including five species new for tropical Africa and six new for the Palaeotropics, thus raising the number of species known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 150 to 209. Keys are presented to all known species of Microtheliopsis and to species of Porina with disc-shaped isidia.

John Lightfoot's account of lichens in Flora Scotica was the first Scottish lichen Flora and as such it was novel in several respects: 1) it was published in English; 2) it drew on the knowledge and expertise of several key local collectors and treated lichens from alpine areas for the first time; 3) it made lichens accessible in providing Linnaean binomials, colloquial English, and frequently also Gaelic names, together with lively descriptions, details of ecology, and medicinal or traditional uses when these were known. Of the 117 taxa listed, 109 were classified in the genus Lichen, five in Byssus, two in Mucor and one in Fucus. Nineteen taxa were newly described, of which five are still in current use. John Lightfoot's life, work and botanical friendships are also briefly discussed.

Bryoria pseudocapillaris and B. spiralifera are currently treated as members of Bryoria section Implexae although conspicuous, long and depressed pseudocyphellae characterizing both species resemble those found in the genus Sulcaria. Both genera belong in Parmeliaceae and form an alectorioid group together with Alectoria, Gowardia and Pseudephebe. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of ITS, partial GAPDH and partial Mcm7 sequence data were used to examine the phylogenetic position of B. pseudocapillaris and B. spiralifera, and in light of these results evaluate the generic delimitation of Bryoria and Sulcaria. A total of 110 specimens of 53 species containing representatives from alectorioid and closely related genera were included in the analyses. The results clearly show first, that both B. pseudocapillaris and B. spiralifera belong in Sulcaria rather than in Bryoria, and second, that they should be considered conspecific. Bryoria pseudocapillaris is proposed as a synonym under B. spiralifera and the name Sulcaria spiralifera comb. nov. is introduced.

The epiphytic lichen Porina pseudohibernica is described as new. It is characterized by a richly isidiate thallus, 7–8(–9)-septate ascospores and the presence of periphyses. It resembles P. hibernica s. str., differing in the size and septation of ascospores, and in the dimensions of the terete, branched isidia. The new species was found fertile at a single site in the Carnic Alps (SE Alps, Italy), but it is also known in a sterile condition from scattered localities in the humid (sub-)montane belt of Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, occurring on smooth bark of Fagus and Carpinus. Porina hibernica is restricted to the coastal lowlands of Atlantic Europe, and it prefers rather dry, base-rich bark of Quercus and Ulmus. The characters previously used to segregate the isidiate European Porina into the genus Zamenhofia are also discussed.

Three new corticolous Diorygma species are described from Brazil. Diorygma incantatum has transversely 29–31-septate, filiform ascospores 105–108×6 µm, and produces an unidentified substance with Rf 44 in solvent C. Diorygma pauciseptatum produces norstictic and connorstictic acids and has transversely 7–9-septate, I+ blue-violet, large ascospores 28–32×7 µm, surrounded by a gelatinous sheath c. 2 µm wide that is often somewhat expanded at one end. Diorygma tocantinense contains protocetraric acid and has muriform, broadly fusiform ascospores with rounded ends, 24–40×10–15 µm, surrounded by an gelatinous sheath up to c. 5 µm wide that is somewhat expanded at central parts of the ascospore. A revised world key is given to all currently known species of Diorygma.

We estimated phylogeny in the lichen-forming ascomycete family Pannariaceae. We specifically modelled spatial (across-site) heterogeneity in nucleotide frequencies, as models not incorporating this heterogeneity were found to be inadequate for our data. Model adequacy was measured here as the ability of the model to reconstruct nucleotide diversity per site in the original sequence data. A potential non-orthologue in the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of Degelia plumbea was observed. We propose a revised generic classification for the Pannariaceae, accepting 30 genera, based on our phylogeny, previously published phylogenies, as well as available morphological and chemical data. Four genera are established as new: Austroparmeliella (for the ‘Parmeliella’ lacerata group), Nebularia (for the ‘Parmeliella’ incrassata group), Nevesia (for ‘Fuscopannaria’ sampaiana), and Pectenia (for the ‘Degelia’ plumbea group). Two genera are reduced to synonymy, Moelleropsis (included in Fuscopannaria) and Santessoniella (non-monophyletic; type included in Psoroma). Lepidocollema, described as monotypic, is expanded to include 23 species, most of which have been treated in the ‘Parmeliella’ mariana group. Homothecium and Leightoniella, previously treated in the Collemataceae, are here referred to the Pannariaceae. We propose 41 new species-level combinations in the newly described and re-circumscribed genera mentioned above, as well as in Leciophysma and Psoroma.

The new genus and species Isalonactis madagascariensis is characterized by a crustose, non-corticate, often sorediate thallus containing psoromic acid, tiny white pruinose ascomata with a thalline margin, an inconspicuous excipulum, a pale brown hypothecium, 3-septate hyaline ascospores and curved filiform conidia. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU and RPB2 sequences place Isalonactis in the Roccellaceae, close to the genera Lecanactis and Chiodecton. The new species was collected on sheltered siliceous rocks in the dry landscape of the Isalo Massif (S Madagascar). Dermatiscum thunbergii is newly recorded from Madagascar.

Non-saxicolous lecideoid lichens form a diverse and polyphyletic group of species with a worldwide distribution. The phylogenetic relationships of the taxa and major clades are still largely unresolved. Here we introduce a new genus Palicella Rodr. Flakus & Printzen for Lecidea glaucopa Hook. f. & Tayl. and two closely related species. Our molecular phylogenetic results, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic trees, and a combined dataset of five gene loci (ITS, nrLSU, mrSSU, RPB1 and RPB2), indicate that Palicella forms a monophyletic clade sister to Lecanora symmicta and Pyrrhospora quernea. The new genus is characterized by biatorine apothecia, which are often darkened (by the pigment Cinereorufa-green), an exciple of radiating, narrow hyphae with strongly elongate lumina, a hymenium with branched and sparsely anastomosed paraphyses, an ascus with a broad axial body surrounded by a distinct darker staining layer, and narrowly ellipsoid ascospores. Atranorin is present in all, usnic acid in two and pannarin in one species of the genus. Three new combinations are proposed: Palicella filamentosa (Stirt.) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen, P. glaucopa (Hook. f. & Taylor) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen, and P. schizochromatica (Pérez-Ortega, T. Sprib. & Printzen) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen. The molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms that Lecidea hercynica Hauck & Schmull is a synonym of P. filamentosa. An identification key to the species is provided.

The new generic name Bryobilimbia is proposed for Lecidea hypnorum and the closely related taxa Lecidea ahlesii var. ahlesii, L. ahlesii var. nemoralis, L. diapensiae, L. sanguineoatra and Mycobilimbia australis. A phylogenetic analysis based on five genes shows that Lecidea berengeriana does not belong to this group but is more closely related to Romjularia. Both groups of species have been included in Mycobilimbia by some authors but are instead shown to be most closely related to a group of genera (including Clauzadea, Farnoldia, Lecidoma and Romjularia) that do not belong to Lecideaceae s. str. A neotype is selected for Lichen sanguineoater Wulfen and the new combinations Bryobilimbia ahlesii var. ahlesii, B. ahlesii var. nemoralis, B. australis, B. diapensiae, B. hypnorum and B. sanguineoatra are proposed. A lectotype is also selected for L. templetonii Taylor.

The lichenized basidiomycete known as Dictyonemainterruptum is a widely distributed but rare, oceanic, western European species known from the British Isles, the Pyrenees, the Azores, and Madeira. Unfortunately, the name has never been validly published. The species was first described in the cyanobacterial genus Calothrix in 1833, which predates the starting point of heterocystous bacterial nomenclature, 1 January 1886. The epithet was never subsequently included in a validly published binomial and its combination into Dictyonema was therefore invalid as well. There was also controversy about whether the epithet applied to the cyanobacterial photobiont (as originally intended) or to the lichen fungus (as proposed later). Because of the lack of a valid description for this epithet, we have chosen to establish a new name, Dictyonema coppinsii Lücking, Barrie & Genney, for the lichenized fungus at hand, whereas the cyanobacterial photobiont is validated with the genus name Rhizonema Lücking & Barrie, adopting the epithet interruptum for it, and placed in a separate family, Rhizonemataceae Büdel & Kauff ex Lücking & Barrie.

Based on a combined three locus analysis two new genera, Charcotiana and Amundsenia, are proposed in the lichen family Teloschistaceae, subfamily Xanthorioideae. Charcotiana includes the new species C. antarctica, which is known only from continental Antarctica. The bipolar genus Amundsenia includes the new species A. austrocontinentalis, which is also known only from continental Antarctica, and the Arctic species Caloplaca approximata which is here combined into the new genus. The two new genera are phylogenetically distinct, but poor in morphological characters; the new species consist mainly of minute apothecia in cracks of rocks located in the climatically harshest regions of the Antarctic. They are somewhat similar to another continental Antarctic species, Austroplaca frigida, which is described as a new name based on the illegitimate name Caloplaca frigida Søchting. The distribution of the four species is mapped.

Pertusaria yunnana G. L. Zhou & Lu L. Zhang from south-western China is described as new to science. This corticolous species is characterized by the white pruinose disciform apothecia, asci with 8 ascospores, and the presence of atranorin in addition to fumarprotocetraric acid. Related lichen taxa are discussed and a key to 21 corticolous species of Pertusaria with disciform apothecia and 8-spored asci is also provided.