Porina is a widely distributed, species-rich genus of crustose, lichen-forming fungi, some with thalline outgrowths that have been recognized as isidia. We studied three taxa with thalli consisting chiefly of ascending isidioid structures occurring on trunks and branches of Taxodium in southwestern Florida, and provide details of their structure with light and electron microscopy. Two of these taxa we describe as new species: P. microcoralloides and P. nanoarbuscula. Genetic sequences (mtSSU) suggest that they are closely related to each other, yet they differ markedly in the size, morphology and anatomical organization of their isidioid branches as well as in the length of their ascospores. In the three Floridian taxa studied, the crustose portion of the thallus is partly endophloeodic and partly superficial, the latter often patchy, evanescent or inconspicuous, and completely lacks the differentiated anatomical organization characteristic of the isidioid structures arising from it. In Porina microcoralloides, the ascendant thallus consists of branched, coralloid inflated structures with phycobiont (Trentepohlia) unicells arranged at the periphery of a loose central medulla. Sparse fungal cells are interspersed and overlie the algal layer in places, but no differentiated cortex is present, leaving phycobiont cells more or less exposed at the surface. In the closely related Porina nanoarbuscula, the isidioid structures are much finer, more densely branched, and composed of a single, central file of roughly spherical Trentepohlia cells surrounded by a jacket of subglobose fungal cells. The ascospores of P. microcoralloides are more than twice the length of those of P. nanoarbuscula. Although thalli of these two Porina species occur in the same habitats and are sometimes found growing alongside each other, phylogenetic analysis of rbcL sequences suggest that they partner with distinct clades of Trentepohlia phycobionts. A third taxon examined, Porina cf. scabrida, is morphologically rather similar to P. microcoralloides, but the ascendant branches are bright yellow-orange, more cylindrical, and corticated by a thin layer of agglutinated fungal hyphae; perithecia were not seen. Analysis of mtSSU sequences places it distant from P. microcoralloides and P. nanoarbuscula phylogenetically. None of the Floridian taxa studied was particularly close to the European isidiate species Porina hibernica and P. pseudohibernica, which appeared as sister to each other in the analysis. While a particular type of isidiose structure may be reliably characteristic of specific taxa, similarities or differences in these structures do not seem to be useful indicators of phylogenetic proximity or distances among taxa. The morphological trends evident in Porina suggest that multiple transitions from crustose to isidioid or microfruticose growth have arisen repeatedly and in quite different ways within this single genus. At least some of the diverse structures treated within the broad concept of isidia may be representative of the developmental pathways by which fruticose growth forms may arise.

With more than 180 known species, Leptogium has its greatest richness in tropical regions. Only three species have so far been reported from Antarctica but extensive surveys in the Antarctic Maritime Islands have shown that this is an underestimate. Leptogium antarcticum (non-isidiate, with medulla composed of columnar hyphae), L. marcellii (non-isidiate, with medulla composed of a sponge-like arrangement of hyphae) and L. tectum (isidiate, with medulla composed of columnar hyphae) are described here as new to science. The new species are compared with those already reported for the genus in Antarctica, namely L. crispatellum, L. menziesii and L. puberulum, and an identification key is provided. Sequences of ITS and mrSSU regions were obtained from recently collected L. antarcticum, L. marcellii, L. puberulum and L. tectum specimens. Morphological and anatomical data were compared along with available genetic data in order to delimit these species more accurately, using an integrative approach.

Classical hypotheses in lichenology predict pairs of species in which sexual lineages are ancestral and long-lived evolutionarily and that these give rise to derived, evolutionarily transient asexual lineages. Extensive phylogenetic information generated over the last 20 years regarding relationships within and among various groups of lichens makes possible an investigation of polarity and lability in reproductive mode across diverse clades. To test the long-held hypothesis of asexual reproduction as an evolutionary dead end in lichens, existing phylogenetic data from 23 studies were utilized to reconstruct gains and losses of sexual and asexual reproduction in a model-based statistical framework. Summed across all studies, between 26–44 origins of asexual reproduction from sexual ancestors (forward transitions) and 14–25 origins of sexual reproduction from asexual ancestors (reverse transitions) were identified. However, the higher number of gains of asexual reproduction was concentrated in a relatively low number of clades (e.g. Dirina). The greater number of forward compared to reverse transitions is consistent with dogma in both lichenology and evolutionary biology, but nonetheless this study documents numerous reverse transitions, suggesting that asexual lineages represent a source for evolutionary innovation.

The new species Micarea corallothallina is described from Serra da Jibóia, Bahia, NE Brazil. It has a gnarled, coralloid, isidiose thallus and pale botryose apothecia. It was found in the Serra da Jibóia, a mountainous range with a maximum elevation of 800 m on smooth bark of trees. This Mata Atlantica fragment is located in the Santa Terezinha municipality, Bahia, NE Brazil, near the Castro Alves municipality boundary. This area can be considered as a rainforest enclave surrounded by Caatinga, and belongs to a disjunct set of mountains that extend from the southern coast of the state to the North-west and North.

The generic classification of Lobariaceae based on a three-gene phylogeny of mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS data, with special reference to the genus Lobariella, is reassessed. Twelve well-supported clades are recognized within Lobariaceae, which correlate with morpho-chemical and ecological features and are suggested to represent distinct generic lineages within the family. Lobaria s. lat. forms at least six lineages: Lobaria s. str. (type L. pulmonaria), the Pseudocyphellaria anomala group, for which the genus Anomalobaria is introduced (type A. anomala), Lobarina (type L. scrobiculata), Ricasolia (type R. amplissima; syn.: Dendriscocaulon), the Sticta wrightii group, for which the genus Dendriscosticta is introduced (type D. wrightii), the Lobaria peltigera group, for which the genus Yoshimuriella is introduced (type Y. fendleri), and Lobariella (type L. crenulata; syn: Durietzia nom. illeg.). Pseudocyphellaria s. lat. comprises four lineages, each of which having genus-level names available: Crocodia (type C. aurata), Parmostictina (type P. hirsuta), Podostictina (type P. endochrysoides), and Pseudocyphellaria (type P. crocata). The Pseudocyphellaria anomala group (Anomalobaria) comes out sister to Lobaria s. str., whereas Sticta s. lat. forms two unrelated lineages, Sticta s. str. (type S. sylvatica) and the S. wrightii group (Dendriscosticta), which is closely related to Lobariella and the Lobaria peltigera group (Yoshimuriella). Although these twelve clades can be organized into three larger clades that largely correspond to the traditional genera Lobaria, Pseudocyphellaria, and Sticta, the clade support for Pseudocyphellaria s. lat., as well as the distribution of morpho-chemical characters over the topology, does not favour such a conclusion. In particular, the most relevant characters traditionally used to separate these genera, pseudocyphellae and/or cyphellae, are found in at least two of the three larger clades (some species of Sticta having pseudocyphellae rather than cyphellae). The strongly supported Lobaria s. lat. clade includes species with and without cyphellae and pseudocyphellae (both on the lower side), which defies the traditional classification using these characters. Based on an expanded ITS phylogeny, Lobariella itself is emended to include 26 species, and a key is presented to all species. The following three genera and 19 species are described as new: Anomalobaria B. Moncada & Lücking gen. nov., Dendriscosticta B. Moncada & Lücking gen. nov., Yoshimuriella B. Moncada & Lücking gen. nov., Lobariella angustata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. auriculata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. ecorticata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. flavomedullosa B. Moncada, Betancourt-Macuase & Lücking sp. nov., L. isidiata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. nashii B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. olivascens B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. pallidocrenulata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. papillifera B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. parmelioides B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. peltata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. pseudocrenulata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. reticulata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. rugulosa B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. soredians B. Moncada, Betancourt-Macuase & Lücking sp. nov., L. spathulifera B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. stenroosiae B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., L. subcorallophora B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov., and L. subcrenulata B. Moncada & Lücking sp. nov. Further, the following 15 new combinations are proposed: Anomalobaria anomala (Brodo & Ahti) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Pseudocyphellaria anomala Brodo & Ahti], A. anthraspis (Ach.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta anthraspis Ach.; Pseudocyphellaria anthraspis (Ach.) H. Magn.], Dendriscosticta platyphylla (Trevis.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Lobaria platyphylla Trevis.; Sticta nylanderiana Zahlbr.], D. platyphylloides (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta platyphylloides Nyl.], D. oroborealis (Goward & Tønsberg) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta oroborealis Goward & Tønsberg], D. praetextata (Räsänen) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta platyphylla var. praetextata Räsänen; S. praetextata (Räsänen) D. D. Awasthi], D. wrightii (Tuck.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta wrightii Tuck.], Lobariella corallophora (Yoshim.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. et stat. nov. [Lobaria exornata var. corallophora Yoshim.], Yoshimuriella carassensis (Vain.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Lobaria carassensis Vain.], Y. corrosa (Ach.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta dissecta var. corrosa Ach.; Lobaria corrosa (Ach.) Vain.], Y. deplanata (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subdissecta f. deplanata Nyl.; Lobaria deplanata (Nyl.) Yoshim.], Y. dissecta (Sw.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Lichen dissectus Sw.; Lobaria dissecta (Sw.) Raeusch], Y. fendleri (Tuck. & Mont.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Sticta fendleri Tuck. & Mont.; Lobaria fendleri (Tuck. & Mont.) Lindau], Y. subcorrosa (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subcorrosa Nyl.; Lobaria subcorrosa (Nyl.) Vain.], and Y. subdissecta (Nyl.) B. Moncada & Lücking comb. nov. [Ricasolia subdissecta Nyl.; Lobaria subdissecta (Nyl.) Vain.].

The type collection of Parmelia goebelii (Bulbothrix goebelii) was discovered to be a mixture of several different Bulbothrix species. The true identity of B. goebelii is established and problems regarding the variability of this species discussed. The species B. papyrina, B. scortella and B. subdissecta, synonymized with B. goebelii by Hale, are resurrected as valid taxa. A detailed description of B. goebelii is presented, its lectotype is selected, and the characteristics of all four species discussed.

Two asexual reproductive strategies of the common lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea are described. Although the species propagates mainly by isidia, some specimens also show the development of soralia. Morphological, chemical and molecular analyses were performed on three such sorediate specimens from the Canary Islands, Morocco and Turkey. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses indicate that: a) sorediate samples represent only a morphological variant of the reproductive mode and b) the separation of taxa (at species level or below) on the basis of their containing either olivetoric acid or physodic and oxyphysodic acids is not appropriate. In addition, a phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Pseudevernia is presented for the first time. The tree shows two sister monophyletic clades, one containing American species (P. intensa, P. cladonia, P. consocians), and the second encompassing the P. furfuracea samples (including sorediate specimens). The biological and taxonomic significance of soralia in sorediate samples is discussed.

A new isidiate species in the genus Graphis Adans. (sensu Staiger 2002), Graphis isidiza (Graphidaceae, ascomycetes) is described from the Western Ghats of India.

Five Japanese species of the lichen genus Menegazzia are recorded. Menegazzia caviisidia Bjerke & P. James sp. nov. is characterized by numerous globose to dactyliform to narrowly obovate, hollow isidia, small conical perforations, and thamnolic acid as the major medullary constituent. It appears to be a rare species, so far known only from three localities on Honshu. The status of the primary species M. asahinae is elucidated. Menegazzia pedicellata Bjerke sp. nov. is a rare caperatic acid-containing species previously included in M. asahinae s. lat. Menegazzia asahinae s. str. has perforated margins of apothecia and contains the stictic acid complex. Menegazzia asahinae f. subimpertusa and M. pseudocyphellata are reduced to synonymy with M. asahinae s. str. Two sorediate species are known, viz. M. subsimilis and M. terebrata.