Two new semi-cryptic species from the marine littoral zone of NW Europe, Hydropunctaria oceanica and H. orae, are described. Both differ from H. maura in their ITS and mtSSU sequences and in their thinner thalli and H. orae also differs in its green rather than brown cortical pigment. Hydropunctaria aractina comb. nov. is reinstated as an accepted species, but is difficult to distinguish from H. orae by morphology alone. Lectotypes and epitypes are proposed for H. aractina and H. maura.

Several specimens of a lichen-inhabiting Tremella, inducing the formation of pale yellow, dark brown or black galls on species of Diploschistes, have been collected in three localities in Sweden and in one locality in the USA. Morphological and molecular studies confirm that this material represents a single species, which differs from other described Tremella species in the combination of gall morphology, basidium morphology, basidium and basidiospore sizes, presence of thick-walled hyphidia, and a different host-selection. We consequently describe this fungus as Tremella diploschistina sp. nov., on the basis of morphology and phylogenetic analyses of ITS and nLSU sequences. The phylogenetic analyses reveal that the fungus clearly belongs in Tremella, although the relationships with other species in the genus remain unclear.

Pertusaria etayoi, found on lava flows and basaltic rocks from the Canary Islands, is described as new to science. It is the only species in the group of saxicolous Pertusaria with verruciform apothecia and 2 rough-walled ascospores to contain thiophaninic acid. A description of the species is given together with notes on its chemistry, distribution, ecology and taxonomy. Possible related lichen taxa are discussed briefly.

In continuation of our ongoing revisionary studies on the lichen family Graphidaceae from India, a treatment of 25 species of the lichen genera Fissurina and Hemithecium from India is presented. In our earlier work on the lichen genus Fissurina, 16 species were reported from India. In the present study, 17 additional species of Fissurina from India are recognized. Nine species, viz. Fissurina andamanensis, F. disposita, F. immersa, F. indica, F. microcarpa, F. nicobarensis, F. simplex, F. sporolata, and F. submonospora, are described as new to science. Seven species, viz. Fissurina canlaonensis, F. cingalina, F. comparimuralis, F. monospora, F. nitidescens, F. rubiginosa, and F. subnitidula, are recorded for the first time from India. One species, Fissurina sp. 1, is recorded but not formally described as new due to scanty material. Eight species in the lichen genus Hemithecium, including three new species, viz. H. kodayarense, H. longilirellatum, H. verrucosum, and five new combinations, viz. Hemithecium andamanicum, H. flabillatum, H. flavoalbum, H. flexile, and H. norlabiatum, are also recognized in the present work. A revised key for the identification of all 33 species of Fissurina and 26 species of Hemithecium so far known from India is provided.

An account is given of the lichen genus Phlyctis in India. Phlyctis monosperma, with single spored asci and psoromic acid, and P. subhimalayensis, lacking secondary metabolites, are described here as new to science. A worldwide key to the genus is provided.

A corticolous lichen species, Opegrapha granulosa Siljo & G. P. Sinha, with a UV+ pale yellow thallus, is described as new to science from the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve, West Bengal, India.

Three new species of Chapsa in the family Graphidaceae are described from tropical Asia. Chapsa mastersonii Rivas Plata, Lumbsch & Lücking from the Philippines is characterized by large apothecia with thickly white-pruinose discs, large, muriform, non-amyloid ascospores, and the stictic acid chemosyndrome. Chapsa wijeyaratniana Weerakon, Lumbsch & Lücking from Sri Lanka has apothecia similar to the preceding species but forms an ecorticate thallus with maculiform to capitate soralia, has small, submuriform ascospores, and lacks secondary substances. Chapsa wolseleyana Weerakon, Lumbsch & Lücking forms apothecia with red to pinkish or purplish red discs and large, muriform ascospores becoming pale brown.

Two new species of Anzia are described from Sri Lanka: A. mahaeliyensis characterized by a white, single-layered medulla and pale tipped isidia, and A. flavotenuis by a two-layered medulla with the upper layer yellow and the lower part white, a central chondroid axis and isidia with brown-black tips. Morphological and chemical characters used to distinguish species of Anzia are discussed and DNA sequences (ITS) are provided for the two new species. Characteristic features and worldwide distribution of the genus are also outlined.

Three names in the genus Graphis are validated: Graphisnorvestitoides Sutjaritturakan, G. rongklaensis Sutjaritturakan, and Graphis arbusculaeformis (Vain.) Lücking. In addition, the new species G. pseudoaquilonia Lücking is described, differing from G. norvestitoides in the clear versus inspersed hymenium.

The foliicolous lichenized fungus Calopadia erythrocephala Farkas, Elix & Flakus, is described as new to science from the Atlantic submontane rainforests in Brazil. The species is very similar to C. puiggarii, but is distinguished by the presence of a red pigment in the campylidia, the darker apothecial discs and larger conidia. Fusarubin, the red pigment produced by the new species, is reported for the first time from foliicolous lichens. A world-wide key to foliicolous species of Calopadia with single, muriform ascospores is presented.

It has been suggested that the absence of anthraquinones is not a synapomorphic character, but appears independently in unrelated lineages of Teloschistaceae. We analyzed ITS nrDNA regions in species of the genus Caloplaca and present evidence for five such examples: the Caloplaca cerina group, C. obscurella, the C. servitiana group, the C. xerica group and the C. variabilis group (Pyrenodesmia). In some cases, loss of anthraquinones is observed only in individuals within ordinarily pigmented populations, but sometimes the loss covers whole lineages containing one or more species. Both situations are observed in the C. servitiana group. Loss of anthraquinones is always followed by the synthesis of ‘alternative’ pigments (often Sedifolia-grey). In the specimens with anthraquinone-containing apothecia studied, these pigments are not visible in apothecial sections after dissolving anthraquinones in K. Fully unpigmented apothecia have not been observed.

The Caloplaca xerica group is a newly established, infraspecific grouping of species related to, and similar to, C. xerica. The Caloplaca servitiana group is also newly established and represents an isolated lineage covering two rather different, but related species. Caloplaca neotaurica is described here as a new species with apothecia of two colour variants; orange-red (with anthraquinones) and grey (with Sedifolia-grey).

The genus Huea represents another taxon lacking anthraquinones within Teloschistaceae. The genera Apatoplaca and Cephalophysis, which lack anthraquinones, are tentatively placed in Teloschistaceae, but their phylogenetic identity has not been recognized. Hueidea is reported to have no anthraquinones, but its secondary metabolites should be studied further and its possible placement in Teloschistaceae assessed.

We suggest that Caloplaca abbreviata var. lecideoides and C. celata represent variants of C. stillicidiorum lacking anthraquinones.

To investigate the association between, and the reproductive modes of, mycobiont and photobiont in the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum, microsatellite markers (SSR markers) were developed for both bionts and genotypic analysis was performed for thalli in a Pinus thunbergii forest. In a within-thallus analysis, tissue pieces were sampled from many portions within each of five thalli. Within-thallus variation for both mycobiont and photobiont differed among the thalli investigated, suggesting that a single thallus can be derived from either a single mycobiont origin with or without occasional changes in the photobiont, or fusion of several independent thalli. In the within-tree analysis, thalli with the same genotypes were found on individual trees, suggesting the presence of short-distance isidium dispersal. In the within-stand analysis, genotypically similar photobionts tended to be associated with the same mycobiont genotype, suggesting the participation of local dispersal via isidia. The overall index of association (IA) for the mycobiont in the stand probably indicates the dominance of sexual reproduction, in contrast to that of the photobiont, where dominance of asexual reproduction is suggested. IA's of mycobiont and photobiont were also calculated for thalli collected from larger areas, where there is a signature for sexual reproduction for photobiont.