Topelia nimisiana Tretiach & Vězda is described from old Quercus pedunculata bark in Castelporziano, near Rome (Italy). It is characterized by a hymenium inspersed by numerous oil droplets, by immersed, perithecioid ascomata and by a continuous, dark green thallus.

The lichen Lecanora somervellii Paulson, first described from the northern slopes of Mt Everest in Tibet, has been collected at four other localities in the High Himalayas, at altitudes between 3750 and 5540 m. As the type material appears to be missing, a neotype is designated here. The species has an unusual lemon yellow colour due to the pigment calycin; this compound is in addition to usnic acid, which is widespread in Lecanora. Lecanora somervellii is otherwise very similar in essential characters to the complex including Lecanora concolor Ram. and L. orbicularis (Schaerer) Vainio, high alpine species well-known, for example, from the Alps. It is supposed, that L. somervellii is derived from this aggregate by the production of calycin (in addition to usnic acid), which acts as an additional protective pigment at these very high altitudes.

Sphaerophorus diplotypus Vainio is reported as new to mainland Africa (Tanzania). Sphaerophorus digitaius Wang-Yang & Lai is reduced to a synonym of S. diplotypus. The name Sphaerophorus dodgei Ohlsson is validated and a description of the species is given. Sphaerophorus dodgei is recorded as being widespread and common in the Valdivian rainforest of Chile and Argentina. Sphaerophorus imshaugii Ohlsson is reported as new to the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Sphaerophorus macrocarpus Ohlsson is reported as new to South America (Chile). In S. dodgei and S. macrocarpus the spore ornamentation consists of mazaedial material added to the spore wall after the spores have been released from the asci. Concentric bodies occur in young ascospores of S. macrocarpus. A protocetraric-acid-deficient strain of S. microsporus Ohlsson is reported for the first time. Sphaerophorus tibellii Wedin, from northern New Zealand, is described as new.

Placoparmelia patagonica Henssen gen. et sp. nov. is described from two localities in Argentina. The placodioid thallus of P. patagonica has a primitive paraplectenchymatous upper cortex in parts but is devoid of a clearly defined lower cortex, true rhizines or tufts of rhizoidal hyphae. The upper surface is minutely porous and reacts HNO3 + blue-green indicating the presence of glomellifera brown. Norstictic acid with small amounts of connorstictic and cryptostictic acid, and a trac of an unknown substance were detected by TLC. The ontogeny and structure of the apothecia and pycnidia correspond to those of the Parmeliaceae. The anatomy of the thallus in P. patagonica is compared with that in Neofuscelia squamariata, N. pulla and Parmelia saxatilis.

An account of the lichen flora of Caenlochan, in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland, is provided; it is considered to be the third most important site for calcicolous montane lichens in the UK, after Ben Lawers and Ben Alder. After evaluating all records, 322 species are accepted as having been recorded from rock and soil on high ground of which many are reported for the first time. These include Collema parvum and Rinodina parasitica new to the British Isles. The lichen flora is distributed in many small pockets, each of medium interest, so there is no single outstanding site in the corrie. Substratum variability contributes significantly to lichen diversity; the Lawers Calcareous Schists are soft and laced with seams of marble, whereas the harder hornblende schists form high cliffs that carry communities typical of rocks of intermediate base-status. The course of the Glasallt Burn is particularly varied. Severe restraints on the alpine lichen flora include the relatively low altitude (610–850 m) and sheltered situation of the calcareous strata. This adversely affects terricolous and bryophilous species. The outcrops of alkaline rock are severely limited in extent considering the reputation of Caenlochan. This is one of the driest parts of the Highlands; species of unusual abundance, such as Acarospora cervina are probably favoured by the summer water deficit, whereas others, less frequent than expected, for example Amygdalaria spp. and Collema glebulentum, may be restricted by it. Four new taxa are described: Lecidea pycnocarpa f. sorediata Coppins & Fry day, Pertusaria flavocorallina Coppins & Muhr, Polyblastia efflorescens Coppins, and Thelidium papulare f. sorediatum Coppins.

The epiphytic lichen vegetation on the trunks of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies was studied and analysed by canonical correspondence analysis in relation to a number of environmental variables. The distribution and abundance of epiphytic lichen species proved to be dependent on the age of the stand, showing divergent responses in relation to phorophyte species and environmental variables such as acidity of the bark and vertical location on the trunk. The importance of stand age in the pattern of community variation is concluded to be an outcome of interaction between changes in the structure of the tree canopy, microclimate and properties of the bark. The responses of single lichen species to changes in the environment seem to vary considerably, indicating differences in competitive ability and ecological strategy between the species.

Samples of Cladonia mitis were collected from three microhabitats within an open field in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. Two sets of sample thalli were taken in close proximity to geothermal vents and a third from a neighbouring area not directly affected by outgassings. Enzymes were extracted and separated by isoelectric focusing, and multiple enzyme forms of three oxidoreductases, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase, and two hydrolases, esterase and alkaline phosphatase, were examined. Similarities between microhabitats based on electrophoretic results were calculated using Jaccard's similarity coefficient and expressed graphically through the complementary techniques of clustering and ordination. All of the major differences in isozyme patterns between remote samples and those near fumaroles were in the two highly polymorphic enzymes, esterase and alkaline phosphatase. Differences were as great or greater than those between geographically separated conspecific populations of lichens examined previously. In the more sulphurous microhabitats, nine bands were much more frequent and eight much less so than in locations further from the source of gases.