Porina fortunata P. M. McCarthy & Etayo sp. nov. (Trichotheliaceae) is described from shaded basalt in Gomera, Canary Islands. It is characterized by a richly rimose to areolate thallus, small, prominent and outwardly blackish perithecia that are internally orange-brown and narrow and elongate, 3(-7)-septate ascospores.

The influence of acute gamma radiation on four physiological characteristics of lichens was investigated. Membrane permeability in irradiated thalli of Cladonia arbuscula, Cetraria islandica and Hypogymnia physodes increased considerably compared to controls. The nitrogen content in Peltigera aphthosa appeared to be stable to acute gamma radiation. Up to 1000 Gy there was no essential decrease in respiration intensity in H. physodes and P. aphthosa or of peroxidase activity in P. aphthosa..

Lecania poeltii v.d. Boom, Alonso & Egea sp. nov. is described from Portugal and northern Africa. The species is characterized by its inconspicuous hairs on thallus and apothecia, in which it differs from the other known species of the genus.

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).

This study re-examined the status of species of Diorygma Eshw. known from the Western Ghats using an integrative taxonomy approach that includes morphological and chemical data, as well as multigene phylogenetic analyses. Prior to this work, the two species D. karnatakense and D. dandeliense were distinguished primarily on lirellae morphology (branching pattern) and the number of ascospores per ascus. Our study of the morphology, chemistry and molecular phylogeny (mtSSU, LSU and RPB2) of freshly collected samples and re-examination of type material suggests that both names should be synonymized. Consequently, D. karnatakense is accepted as the correct name, with D. dandeliense as a newly proposed synonym. Phylogenetically, D. karnatakense is allied to D. antillarum and D. hieroglyphicum.

The type species of Squamarina has two varieties, S. gypsacea var. gypsacea and S. gypsacea var. subcetrarioides. In this study, a phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis of these two varieties shows that S. var. subcetrarioides merits treatment as a species separate from S. gypsacea. Therefore, we raise this variety to species level as S. subcetrarioides (Zahlbr.) Y. Y. Zhang. Squamarina subcetrarioides is phylogenetically not closely related to S. gypsacea and differs from that species in the thallus forming rosettes when young, later becoming cracked and irregular in outline, and consisting of numerous small squamules.

Two new species in Leptogium are described and illustrated from the Cape Horn region: L. auriculatum and L. adnatum both grow on wet rocks, the former by a river, the latter on coastal rocks. In addition to the special habitat the latter is easily identified on the closely appressed thallus which centrally often have densely packed squamules in intricately folded structures. Leptogium auriculatum is characterized by the regular, rounded lobes with thickened margins carrying granular isidia. The total number of Leptogium species known in the region at present is 19, including the previously doubtful L. patagonicum Zahlbr., which is here confirmed as a distinct species.

The lichen family Ophioparmaceae contains three genera: Boreoplaca, Hypocenomyce and Ophioparma. The genus Hypocenomyce is reported here for the first time for China, being represented by the species Hypocenomyce scalaris which is distributed in south-western China. For the genus Ophioparma, one new species is described in this paper, namely Ophioparma pruinosa Li S. Wang & Y. Y. Zhang sp. nov., which is characterized by a pruinose thallus and the presence of usnic acid. Ophioparma araucariae is also reported as new for the Chinese lichen biota. Previous reports of O. lapponica in China are recognized as misidentifications of O. ventosa. Descriptions, keys and phylograms are provided for these species.

The new species Peltigera phyllidiosa Goffinet & Miadlikowska from the Southern Appalachians, eastern U.S.A., is closely related to P. collina and P. neckeri. Like these species it has a glabrous upper cortex and black fingernail- or saddleshaped apothecial discs, but differs in its laminal phyllidia. Variation in nucleotide sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) of the nrDNA repeat region correlates with the presence or absence of phyllidia, supporting the distinction of P. phyllidiosa from P. collina and P. neckeri.

Species can respond to climate change by migrating to track their suitable climate space, and/or through adaptation (across generations) or acclimation (by individuals) to a changed in situ environment. Lichens provide an excellent model for studying acclimation; being poikilohydric, there is strong evidence that their phenotype presents an adaptation to different moisture regimes, and that key aspects of the phenotype, notably specific thallus mass (STM), have plasticity towards effective acclimation that maximizes water storage in drier environments. In this study we quantified acclimation of STM for Lobaria pulmonaria across a regional climatic gradient, and within sites for different microclimates, using a one-year common garden growth experiment. We found that STM tended to increase with thallus growth; however, when accounting for growth, STM shifted to be lower than average in wetter environments, higher than average in intermediate environments, and failed to respond in the driest environment where growth was compromised. The possibility of phenotypic acclimation in Lobaria pulmonaria appears to be functionally linked to the propensity for growth, and we present a scheme coupling growth with STM to define the limits of the species realized niche.