A phylogenetic study using DNA sequences of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit from 38 species is used to infer the phylogeny of species currently placed in Topeliopsis. The genus is shown to be polyphyletic; monophyly of previous and current circumscriptions of the genus are rejected using two alternative hypothesis tests. Topeliopsis meridiensis is shown to be closer to Chapsa than Topeliopsis, but additional studies are necessary to understand the circumscription of Chapsa. The new genus Melanotopelia Lumbsch & Mangold is described to accommodate T. toensbergii and T. rugosa. These species were previously regarded as aberrant in Topeliopsis because of their thin-walled ascospores and dark pigmented proper exciple. The new combination Graphis mexicana (Hale) Kalb, Lücking & Lumbsch is proposed and Graphis muscicola and Topeliopsis globosa reduced to synonymy with this species.

Protoparmelia capitata Lendemer, a sorediate species, is described as new to science. It is characterized by having large hemispherical soralia. Protoparmelia isidiata Diederich, Aptroot & Sérus., an isidiate species, is reported for the first time from North America. Both taxa produce alectoronic acid, and are shown to be widespread in sub-tropical portions of south-eastern North America. The placement of these two taxa in Protoparmelia is supported by a phylogenetic study of mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences.

The new species Lecanora lasalliae Pérez-Ortega & Etayo is described from Spain. It is included provisionally in Lecanora s. lat as characters such as Lecanora-type ascus, exciple composed of thick radiating hyphae and the usual presence of algal cells in the excipulum or its lichenicolous habitus on Lasallia pustulata, do not fit well within any known genus of lichenicolous or lichenized fungi. Its taxonomic affinities with several taxa are discussed, including the parasitic Lecanora gyrophorina.

Three new species of the lichen genus Caloplaca (Teloschistaceae) from India are described. Caloplaca jatolensis belongs to the Triophthalmidium section, while C. pseudisteroides and C. subleptozona belong to the Sideritis group.

Australian records of Scoliciosporum are reviewed. The new species, Jarmania scoliciosporoides Kantvilas, is described, based on Tasmanian material previously referred to Scoliciosporum pruinosum (P. James) Vězda; the systematic position of these two taxa is considered. Two further species recorded previously, S. compactum Körber and S. umbrinum (Ach.) Arnold, are discussed and all records united under the latter name; S. umbrinum is reported from Tasmania for the first time.

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.

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

A study of the diversity and distribution of lichens at 10 sites within the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, India, revealed 177 species, belonging to 71 genera and 35 families. The Sanctuary exhibited almost all the habit and habitat groups of lichens within its climatically heterogenous and altitudinally (400–2700 m) varied landscape. Among the different habitat groups, obligately corticolous lichens were dominant (133 species), followed by facultatively corticolous lichens (occurring on both rock and bark; 25 species), saxicolous lichens (17 species) and terricolous lichens (2 species). The corticolous habitat group was dominated by crustose species while saxicolous and terricolous groups were made up of mostly fruticose species. A substantial number of species (77) occurred at single sites only, and each of the 10 sites supported a distinct lichen assemblage. Altitude and humidity were the putative key factors controlling the diversity and distribution of lichens within the Sanctuary. The mid altitude range 1400–1600 m had the greatest lichen diversity, which showed a unimodal pattern in relation to altitude.

Twenty species of Phyllopsora are recognized in Peru, 8 of which are described as new: P. atrocarpa, P. brakoae, P. glaucescens, P. labriformis, P. lacerata, P. lividocarpa, P. nigrocincta, and P. soralifera. Four new combinations are proposed: Phyllopsora cinchonarum (Fée) Timdal, P. glaucella (Vain.) Timdal, P. leucophyllina (Nyl.) Timdal, and for an extra-Peruvian species, P. sorediata (Aptroot & Sparrius) Timdal. The genera Squamacidia and Triclinum are synonymized with Phyllopsora and sorediate species are included in the genus for the first time. Phyllopsora chodatinica, P. swinscowii, and the acid deficient chemotype of P. furfuracea are new to the neotropics and P. cuyabensis, P. glaucella and P. leucophyllina are new to Peru. A key to the Peruvian species is provided.

The genus Alysphaeria Turpin is typified; it belongs to Chrysothrix Mont. nom. cons. Five old unused names are added to the synonymy of Chrysothrix candelaris (L.) J. R. Laundon. Lepraria atrotomentosa Orange & Wolseley is a synonym of L. cupressicola (Hue) J. R. Laundon, a new combination. Lepraria nigrocincta Diederich et al. is identical with the earlier L. yunnaniana (Hue) Zahlbr. and therefore also goes into synonymy.

Autecological information targeted towards rare and threatened lichen species is severely lacking. This study adopts the rare British lichen Vulpicida pinastri as a case study species and examines its ecological response to emerging threats: climate change and the recurrent loss of its primary habitat (juniper scrub). We used predictive niche modelling to examine the response of V. pinastri to a range of present-day climatic variables. A successful model was projected for a period during the 2050s based on IPCC climate change scenarios (UKCIP02 data), and threat was estimated as the proportional change in bioclimatic space. To estimate the potential range now and during the 2050s, projected bioclimatic space was masked by a habitat map equivalent to (i) the present-day distribution of juniper and (ii) theoretical juniper distribution based on existing rates of decline. Our results point to potential range loss of V. pinastri with climate warming, exacerbated by the recurrent decline in juniper habitat. This predictive modelling approach was complemented by an assessment of local stand-scale effects. At four sites in north-east Scotland we examined the occurrence and abundance of V. pinastri thalli, in response to juniper spatial distribution, and the life-stage and structure of individual shrubs. Vulpicida pinastri appeared to be dispersal limited at small-scales, and was significantly more abundant on old and degenerate juniper shrubs. Our results evidence a close relationship between management for habitat quality and effective lichen conservation. Effective conservation of V. pinastri must ensure cohorts of older and degenerate juniper shrubs are maintained at sites where the species is expected to be most resistant to long-term climate warming, i.e. in the uplands of north-east Scotland.

The new genus Vahliella is recognized as a genus since molecular studies have shown that the subgenus Micropannaria of Fuscopannaria differs so much from this genus that it cannot even be placed in the Pannariaceae. While its family position remains unclear, it is certainly best established as a genus, as it is recognizable also on morphological and chemical characters. Unlike the mainly warm-temperate genus Fuscopannaria, it is restricted to cold-temperate regions. Presently it is known to contain eight species, a key to which is given. The following new combinations are introduced: Vahliella adnata (P. M. Jørg. & Upreti), Vahliella atlantica (P. M. Jørg. & P. W. James), Vahliella californica (Tuck.), Vahliella globuligera (Fryday & P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella hookerioides (P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella labrata (P. M. Jørg.), Vahliella leucophaea (Vahl), Vahliella saubinetii (Mont.).

Two lichenicolous species are discussed: the recently described Unguiculariopsis nephromae, which occurs on Nephroma species in Canada, Fennoscandia, North America and Russia, is combined into Protounguicularia; and Hyalopeziza rapax sp. nov. is described from Pseudocyphellariacrocata in Alaska. In discussing generic placements, it is concluded that the species now known as Olla transiens is better accommodated in Protounguicularia and the species is combined into that genus. Attention is drawn to variability in general appearance of P. nephromatis, particularly the occurrence of both superficial and erumpent apothecia in the same species.

A new species of the Leptogium trichophorum group is described from Mt. Albert Edward in Papua New Guinea. A key to the related species, which are all found in SE Asia, is given. The new species appears to be rather local, and may prove to be endemic.

Enterographa bengalensis, a new species is described from the mangrove reserve – Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve, West Bengal, India. It is characterized by the convergent punctiform to lirelliform ascomata, 12–15(–17) septate fusiform ascospores and the presence of psoromic acid. In addition, three species of the genus viz. E. anguinella (Nyl.) Redinger, E. divergens (Müll. Arg.) Redinger and E. multiseptata R. Sant. are also reported for the first time from India.

The lichen species Sticta alpinotropica is described new to science from Papua New Guinea. It grows on rock between 3900 and 4200 m elevation in an alpine environment virtually on the equator. Although it is locally abundant, it is known only from one small mountain top.

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.

Growth rates and the ability to date an organism can greatly contribute to understanding its population biology and community dynamics. 1n 1954, V. N. Andreev proposed a method to date regularly branched members of Cladonia, a fruticose lichen, using total thallus length and number of internodes. No research, however, has demonstrated the reliability of this technique or compared its estimates to those derived by other means. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of 14C/C ratios to determine lichen age and growth rate in Cladonia stygia (Fr.) Ruoss collected from north-western Alaska, USA. The average growth rate using 14C/C ratios was 6·5 mm yr−1, which was not significantly different from growth rates derived by Andreev's internode method (average = 6·2 mm yr−1); thus, suggesting the reliability of Andreev's simple field method for dating lichens.

During a visit to the Natural History Museum London I examined material of the genus Porocyphus from the British Isles. A collection labelled Porocyphus coccodes [Scotland, Forfar, Caenlochan, on damp, E-facing rock (±basic), 1700 ft, 10 viii 1968, P. James (BM)] turned out to be a well-developed specimen of Metamelanea umbonata Henssen. Another two specimens from Scotland sent to me for identification belong here as well: Mid-Perth, Bread-albana, Creag Mhòr, S-facing cliffs, 700–800 m, 27/39.35, 6 vii 1979, B. Coppins 4573 (E, hb M. Schultz); Angus, Caenlochan Glen (N side), Glasallt Burn, W-facing cliffs, on vertical flushed granite cliff face, 800 m, 37/17, 7 viii 1989, B. Coppins 13383 & O. Gilbert (E, hb M. Schultz).

We have studied and tried to clarify the application of names of all the lichenicolous fungi described by Carlos Spegazzinii. Several of these names have not previously been treated by mycologists currently specializing in lichenicolous fungi. Verruculina gen. nov. is introduced with V. sigmatospora (Speg.) Etayo (syn. Metanectria sigmatospora) as type, and the new combination Scutula nephromatis (Speg.) Etayo (syn. Patellea nephromatis) is made. Material of several species, Diplosporium caudatum (on Punctelia), Pleurotus lichenicolus (on Usnea), Pyrenopeziza lichenicola (on Flavoparmelia), Selenosporium lichenicola (on Candelaria) and Vermiculariella lichenicolum (on Physcia and Peltigera), could not be located in Spegazzini’s collections in La Plata (LPS), therefore these names remain to be clarified.