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The objective of our study to identified and characterized the compounds from Usnea longisssimia.Lichen thallus was subjected for extraction to evaluate phytochemicals in different polarity solvents and extract yield also quantified. Chemical markers were identified in specific solvent system which was isolated by preparative. TLC and characterized through FTIR spectroscopy. Usnic acid was identified as a major marker along with Barbatic acid, Diffractaic acid, Divaricatic acid, and Fumarprotocetraic acid, respectively. The yield of usnic acid was found to be maximum in ethanol and yield varied from 1.84 to 5.06%, respectively. This study resulted that polarity based extraction affects the yield of extracts and isolation of specific compounds.

The present study recorded 18 species including four new records of the genus viz. Phaeophyscia hirtuosa(Kremp.) Essl., P. laciniataEssl., P. nashiiEssl., and P. rubropulchra(Degel.) Essl., for Indian lichen biota. Out of 18 species of Phaeophysciareported from India, the northern region of the country showed rich diversity of Phaeophysciaspecies represented by 15 species followed by eastern and southern region with 9 and 6 species, respectively. Phaeophyscia hispidulais the dominant species.

Holoptelea integrifolia(Sanskrit: chirivilva, Hindi: chilbil, family: Ulmaceae) is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 18 m tall, distributed throughout the greater part of India up to an altitude of 2000 ft. It has grey bark, covered with blisters, peeling in corky scales on old trees. The plant has several medicinal properties such as antiinflammatory, anthelmintic, and antidiabetic activity. The present work was taken up with a view to lay down standards which will contribute significantly to the quality control of the medicinally useful Holopteleaspecies. Till date, there is no comparative phytochemical and antioxidant literature available of this traditionally valuable drug. Biomarkers such as stigmasterol, olenolic acid, ursolic acid, betulin, and lupeol were estimated through high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method, and it was found maximum in Behraich plant sample. The bark of Behraich’s sample shows strong antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] assay). It suggests secondary metabolites present in H. integrifoliahaving antioxidant effects, which indicate their effectiveness in diseases caused by overproduction of free radicals. Over all, these comparative data provide a suitable criteria to differentiate the stem barks of the above four Holopteleabarks of different places from India and open a new vista for the exploitation of these species for the development of herbal formulations.

Parmelioid lichens are a diverse and ubiquitous group of foliose lichens. Generic delimitation in parmelioid lichens has been in a state of flux since the late 1960s with the segregation of the large, heterogeneous genus Parmelia into numerous smaller genera. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that some of these new genera were monophyletic, some were not, and others, previously believed to be unrelated, fell within single monophyletic groups, indicating the need for a revision of the generic delimitations. This study aims to give an overview of current knowledge of the major clades of all parmelioid lichens. For this, we assembled a dataset of 762 specimens, including 31 of 33 currently accepted parmelioid genera (and 63 of 84 accepted genera of Parmeliaceae). We performed maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of combined datasets including two, three and four loci. Based on these phylogenies and the correlation of morphological and chemical characters that characterize monophyletic groups, we accept 27 genera within nine main clades. We re-circumscribe several genera and reduce Parmelaria to synonymy with Parmotrema. Emodomelanelia Divakar & A. Crespo is described as a new genus (type: E. masonii). Nipponoparmelia (Kurok.) K.H. Moon, Y. Ohmura & Kashiw. ex A. Crespo & al. is elevated to generic rank and 15 new combinations are proposed (in the genera Flavoparmelia, Parmotrema, Myelochroa, Melanelixia and Nipponoparmelia). A short discussion of the accepted genera is provided and remaining challenges and areas requiring additional taxon sampling are identified.

Sticta indicaD.Awasthi & Upreti, is newly described. The new taxon has a restricted distribution in temperate Himalayas growing on rocks in association with mosses in moist shady more or less thinned out Quercus semecarpifoliaforests.

The paper describes for the first time the occurrence of Xanthoparmelia saxeti(Stizenb.) Amo, A. Crespo, Elix and Lumbsch in Himalaya, where it was found growing over siliceous rocks in and around Sun Temple, Kosi Katarmal, Almora district, Uttarakhand. Previously, the species was reported for the first time under the name Karoowia saxetifrom Karnantaka and recently Divakar and colleagues collected specimens from the same state, but the species had not been previously mentioned by any Indian worker from India. A brief description of the species along with the status of Karoowiaand Xanthoparmeliais given in the text.