Caloplaca britannica R. Sant. sp. nov. and C. ceracea Laundon sp. nov. are described, the latter having been erroneously called C. caesiorufa by British authors. Both grow on maritime rocks, but C. ceracea also occurs inland where it is rare. The value of the colour test with C (bleach) in Caloplaca is mentioned.

The species Neofuscelia almbornii Henssen, is described from South Africa. It differs from N. squamariata in the smaller size of the lobes and longer asci and conidia. Characteristic features of both species are: a subcrustose thallus with tufts of rhizoidal hyphae arising from a well-developed lower cortex,±bifusiform conidia, and a minutely porous upper surface. The two species differ from Neofuscelia pulla by the lack of a foliose thallus, true rhizines, and epicortical pores in the sense of Hale.

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 first modern taxonomic classification of the species of Lepraria is presented. Chemistry is the most important character used to separate the morphologically similar, but distinct, sterile taxa. Nine species are recorded from the British Isles, of which L. eburnea and L. frigida are new to science. Lepraria nivalis is a new name for Crocynia murorum B. de Lesd., and L. caesioalba (B. de Lesd.) Laundon a new combination. Two species, L. incana (L.) Ach. and L. lobificans Nyl., are especially common and are dominant on shaded bark and rock. Twenty-eight lichens reported as Lepraria belong elsewhere or require further study. The combination Leproloma cacuminum (Massal.) Laundon is made to replace the name L. angardianum.

A new genus, Digitothyrea, in the family Lichinaceae, is described. It includes three species formerly placed in Thyrea Massal. Studies on morphology and ascocarp ontogeny show that these are a homogeneous group of closely related species that differ significantly from taxa included in Thyrea.Digitothyrea rotundata is reported for the second time, from Northern Africa, A key is included.

Pyrenocollema elegans sp. nov., a widespread lichen on the Atlantic coast of Europe and the Pacific coast of North and South America, is distinguished from other members of the genus by a thallus bearing numerous black ridges and warts.

In support of the Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, 22 new combinations are made, and the following new species are described: Bacidia subcircumspecta Coppins, B. viridifarinosa Coppins & P. James, Coccotrema citrinescens P. James & Coppins, Eopyrenula avellanae Coppins, E. grandicula Coppins, E. septemseptata Coppins, Fuscidea hibernica P. James & Poelt, Graphis alboscripta Coppins & P. James, Lecidea doliiformis Coppins & P. James, Melaspilea atroides Coppins, Opegrapha fumosa Coppins & P. James, and O. multipuncta Coppins & P. James.

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.

The lichenicolous coelomycete Stromatopogon baldwinii., forming galls on Usnea inTasmania and the Sandwich Islands, has a type of conidiogenesis not previously recognized amongst lichenized and lichenicolous fungi. Two different types of conidia, small simple microconidia and large submuriform macroconidia, are produced in the same conidioma, but in different regionsof the inner conidiomatal wall. The same kind of cells of the conidiomatal wall act as conidiogenous cells when macroconidia are produced, or give rise to elongated ramified conidiophoreswhen microconidia are produced.

The morphological, anatomical and chemical characteristics of five taxa of Usnea (e.g.U. scabrida, U. elegans, U. molliuscula, U. queenslandica and U.ramulosissima), which belong to the U. scabrida- U. molliuscula complex are described.Usnea scabrida subsp. tayloriana is described as new. Usnea elegans and U.queenslandica are reduced to subspecies: U. scabrida subsp.elegans and U. molliuscula subsp. queenslandica. The species U. consimilis Stirton is considered synonymous with U. scabrida. A canonical discriminant analysis of geographic and climatic data was undertaken, which demonstrated that the species under investigation generally occupied discrete non-overlapping zones, indicating that the differences in thallus morphology correlated with particular climatic regions.

The morphology and chemistry of the type specimens for the four species of brown Parmelia described by A. N. Oxner have been studied. The correct name for the widely distributed Northern Hemisphere taxon, now generally known as Melanelia substygia (Räsänen) Essl. (Parmelia substygia Räsänen), is now M. tominii (Oxner) Essl. Parmelia borisorum Oxner and Parmelia altaica Oxner are also synonyms of M. tominii. Parmelia teretiuscula Oxner is a synonym of Melanelia stygia (L.) Essl.

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.

Bacidina apiahica, Diploschistes bisporus, D. candidissimus and Fellhanera buxi are reported as new to the Canary Islands. Bacidina canariensis Lumbsch & Vézda is newly described.

The results of nitrogen (N) analyses of 14 New Zealand and 23 Antarctic lichens are reported. Eight percent of the total lichen N occurs in the form of amino sugars, 5° as nucleic acids and 80° as proteins and amino acids. It is concluded that when lichens decompose they may represent a good N resource that may be important in ecosystems.

Twenty lichens and a cyanobacterium grow as epiphytes on both shoreline and inland coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) on Caye Caulker, Belize, with a difference in distribution of these epiphytes between shoreline and inland trees. Nine epiphytes were also collected from mangrove (Rhizophora mangle): seven lichens, one moss, and one cyanobacterium.

A number of lichen species presumed to prefer broad-leaved, deciduous woodlands of long continuity were recorded in 101 stands with different histories and in different successional stages in southern Sweden. Of 19 recorded species, Arthonia vinosa, Calicium adspersum, C. salicinum, Lobaria pulmonaria, and Mycobilimbia sabuletorum occurred in ten stands or more. Habitat variables that indicate occurrence of natural forest conditions were registered and also factors of stand and site quality used in forest surveys. The lichen species recorded were significantly correlated with the presence of large, old, deciduous, broad-leaved trees. Deciduous, broadleaved woods with many large old trees are at present being rapidly transformed into forest plantations. The recorded lichen species will decrease unless the woods are protected or have modified management.

In Omphalodium pisacomense and Omphalora arizonica the umbilicate thallus is limited on both sides by strongly gelatinized, prosoplectenchymatous cortices. Pseudocyphellae are formed abundantly on the top of tubercles and ridges; the tuberculate pseudocyphellae are predominantly confined to the upper surface in Omphalodium pisacomense and to the lower surface in Omphalora arizonica. Studies of the ascocarp ontogeny demonstrated the affiliation of Omphalodium and Omphalora to Parmeliaceae s. lat. In both genera, pycnidia and apothecia arise in the upper cortex, being differentiated entirely by cortical hyphae. The parmelioid development of the apothecia differs in the two genera. In Omphalodium pisacomensethe apothecium is incompletely zeorine, since the upper margin of the exciple remains covered by the thalline cortex, while in Omphalora arizonica the upper margin of the exciple protrudes and develops gradually, together with the thalline stalk, into a pedicel for the hymenium. The differences in developmental morphology support the view that Omphalodium and Omphalora should be treated as separate genera. The peculiarities of the parmelioid ontogeny and its implication in the evolution of lichens are discussed.

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.

A method using TLC to recognize compound patterns consisting almost entirely of chloroxanthones in European saxicolous species of Lecidella is described. These are necessary for diagnosis of the taxa studied and of their chemotypes. Two solvents with complementary separatingqualities were required: C, toluene-glacial acetic acid (100:15); J, dichloromethane-acetone (4:1). Although the Rf values in solvent J strongly depend on the concentration of the substances, it is very suitable for identification because the xanthones in this system reveal distinct and characteristic fluorescence colours in UV light, simplifying interpretation enormously. No spray reagents are used. Identifications are made by co-chromatography with authentic lichencompounds