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New collections are reported of the monospecific genusPolypyrenula, an apparently extinct and doubtfully lichenized fungus, typically classified in thePyrenulaceae. Anatomical studies reveal that it is facultatively lichenized. The structure of its hamathecium suggests affinities with Dothideomycetes rather than Eurotiomycetes. Molecular analysis using nuLSU and mtSSU markers demonstrates for the first time its inclusion inTrypetheliaceae, outside the core genera as part of the early diverging lineages in this family. The known distribution ofPolypyrenulais extended to Mexico and South America, new information on its phorophyte associations is provided, and the namePolypyrenula sexlocularisis reinstated as the correct name for this species.

The present treatment shows that the lichen family Trypetheliaceae is an important component of lowland and montane tropical forests in Bolivia. A total of 75 species are currently recognized in Bolivia, of which 24 are new to science and a further 37 are reported for the first time from the country. The following species are described: Architrypethelium penuriixanthum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. hyalinum in the lack of lichexanthone in the thallus; Astrothelium amylosporum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. subdisjunctum in having 8-spored asci and amyloid ascospores; A. bullatum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. megaspermum in having a bullate thallus, a clear hamathecium, 8-spored asci and smaller amyloid ascospores; A. carrascoense Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. meristosporum in having broader ascospores without distinctly thickened median septa, an unidentified xanthone as major substance, and mostly eccentric ostioles; A. elixii Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from all other Astrothelium species in the presence of lichexanthone in the outer layer of thallus and pseudostromata and isohypocrellin inside the pseudostromata, and muriform ascospores; A. inspersotuberculosum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. tuberculosum in having an inspersed hamathecium; A. megaeneum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. croceum in having a thallus covered by parietin, and mostly fused ascomata with intermediate, fused to separated ostioles surrounded by a common ostiolar area; A. neodiplocarpum Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. diplocarpum in the absence of medullary pigment and in the amyloid ascospores; A. nigrocacuminum Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. megochroleucum in having fused, eccentric ostioles and black (UV−) tops of the pseudostromata; A. pallidoflavum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. cinnamomeum in having wider ascospores; A. pyrenuliforme Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. ecuadoriensis ecuadoriense in having shorter ascospores and in the presence of pseudocyphellae; A. subscoria Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. scoria in having non-aggregated ascomata; A. variabile Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from A. ochroleucoides in the longer ascospores; Bathelium boliviense Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from B. lineare in the presence of isohypocrellin inside the pseudostromata; B. flavostiolatum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from all other Bathelium species in the presence of lichexanthone near the ostioles (tops of pseudostromata UV+ yellow) and an orange (K+ carmine red) pigment inside the pseudostromata, the absence of lichexanthone in the thallus, an inspersed hamathecium, and 13–17-septate ascospores; B. inspersomastoideum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from B. mastoideum in having an inspersed hamathecium; B. mirabile Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from other Bathelium species in the pseudostromata containing isohypocrellin inside and parietin outside; B. pruinosum Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from Astrothelium ochroleucoides in having 8-spored asci, shorter ascospores, an inspersed hamathecium, and an unidentified anthraquinone (orange pigment K+ carmine red) inside the pseudostromata; Constrictolumina chiquitana Flakus, Kukwa & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from other known Constrictolumina species in having brown and 1-septate to submuriform ascospores; Dictyomeridium lueckingii Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from D. proponens in having smaller and less septate ascospores; Polymeridium xanthoexcentricum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from P. alboflavescens in having mostly eccentric ostioles; Pseudopyrenula flavosuperans Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from P. superans in having a hamathecium inspersed with yellow oil globules; Trypethelium astroideum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from T. subeluteriae in having K+ carmine red pseudostromata containing parietin inside and black tops with an additional unidentified anthraquinone (rust-red pigment K+ purple, UV−) on the outside, partly fused ostioles, and larger ascospores; and T. xanthoplatystomum Flakus & Aptroot sp. nov. that differs from T. platystomum in the presence of lichexanthone in the thallus.

In our ongoing study of the genus Cladonia, we have encountered several specimens that have proved to represent undescribed species. Four of them are described here as new. Cladonia camerunensis (Cameroon) resembles C. didyma (Fée) Vain., but the former has a coarsely granular surface and a melanotic podetial base; C. compressa (Bolivia) is distinguished by a dominant primary thallus and deeply divided and phyllopodiate podetia; C. longisquama (Seychelles) has well-developed squamules and contains barbatic acid; C. vescula (Bolivia, Peru) differs from C. peziziformis (With.) J. Laundon by an ecorticate podetial surface and the production of homosekikaic acid. The names C. aspera Ahti & Kashiw. and C. crinita (Delise ex Pers.) Ahti are shown to be illegitimate later homonyms and are replaced by the names C. asperula and C. perfoliata, respectively. The neglected name C. botryoides (Tuck.) Vain. is shown to be a synonym of C. squamosa. Another overlooked name, C. crinita Bertol., is shown to be the earliest name for C. evansii, but we propose to retain the latter through conservation. The typification of C. beaumontii Tuck. is amended. Cladonia conspicua is reinstated on the basis of new data. New range extensions in Canada and the United States are given for the poorly documented species C. oricola.

The new obligately lichenicolous fungus, Melaspilea tucumana Flakus, Etayo & Kukwa, inhabiting thalli of saxicolous Pertusaria s. lat. is described from Tucumano-Boliviano vegetation in Bolivia. The species is characterized by the gall formation and superficial, lirelliform to branched, aggregated apothecioid ascomata with widely exposed discs. The ascomata of M. tucumana are initially perithecioid and immersed in the host thallus, but become superficial and apothecioid when mature, and thus resemble the genus Buelliella. This may suggest the placement of the new species in Dothideomycetes.

Non-saxicolous lecideoid lichens form a diverse and polyphyletic group of species with a worldwide distribution. The phylogenetic relationships of the taxa and major clades are still largely unresolved. Here we introduce a new genus Palicella Rodr. Flakus & Printzen for Lecidea glaucopa Hook. f. & Tayl. and two closely related species. Our molecular phylogenetic results, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic trees, and a combined dataset of five gene loci (ITS, nrLSU, mrSSU, RPB1 and RPB2), indicate that Palicella forms a monophyletic clade sister to Lecanora symmicta and Pyrrhospora quernea. The new genus is characterized by biatorine apothecia, which are often darkened (by the pigment Cinereorufa-green), an exciple of radiating, narrow hyphae with strongly elongate lumina, a hymenium with branched and sparsely anastomosed paraphyses, an ascus with a broad axial body surrounded by a distinct darker staining layer, and narrowly ellipsoid ascospores. Atranorin is present in all, usnic acid in two and pannarin in one species of the genus. Three new combinations are proposed: Palicella filamentosa (Stirt.) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen, P. glaucopa (Hook. f. & Taylor) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen, and P. schizochromatica (Pérez-Ortega, T. Sprib. & Printzen) Rodr. Flakus & Printzen. The molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms that Lecidea hercynica Hauck & Schmull is a synonym of P. filamentosa. An identification key to the species is provided.

The new lichenicolous Capronia paranectrioides Etayo, Flakus & Kukwa, inhabiting thalli of Erioderma leylandii, is described from Bolivia. The species is characterized by pale brown, submuriform and bicaudate ascospores, subglobose to barrel-shaped perithecia and I+ red, K/I+ pale blue hymenial gelatine. It is the first known Capronia species producing ascospores with long apical appendages.

Niesslia echinoides Etayo, Flakus & Kukwa sp. nov. is described from Bolivia from the corticolous thallus of Erioderma barbellatum. The fungus is characterized by large ascospores usually breaking into halves within the asci, strongly setose and aggregated ascomata, usually simple setae, and no damage caused to the host thallus.

A new gall-inducing lichenicolous fungus, Plectocarpon stereocaulicola Kukwa, Etayo and Flakus, is described from Bolivia from the thalli of Stereocaulon sp. The new species is characterized by black, epruinose rounded ascomata with a carbonized surface and a thalline pseudo-margin, as well as a non-carbonized, light brown sterile stromatic tissue in the lower part and 3-septate ascospores becoming brown and ornamented when mature.

Four new species of lichenicolous fungi are described from Bolivia: Capronia etayoi Flakus & Kukwa sp. nov. (on Dictyonema minus), Lichenosticta jurgae Kukwa & Flakus sp. nov. (on Lecanora sp.), Phaeosporobolus trypethelii Flakus & Kukwa sp. nov. (on Trypetheliumochroleucum; the host lichen new to Bolivia) and Spirographa usneae Flakus, Kukwa & Etayo sp. nov. (on Usnea sp.; also known from Ecuador).

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.

Acarospora dissecta (Bolivia) and Sarcogyne brunnea (Bolivia, Ecuador) are described as new to science. Acarospora trachyticola, a common effigurate species in Peru, is revised and reported as new for Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Acarospora brasiliensis is considered as a later synonym of A. lorentzii, which is reported new for Peru. Sarcogyne terrena is revised. Silobia smaragdula is verified as occurring in Chile. Polysporina urceolata is reported new to South America from Bolivia.

Two new corticolous lichen species are described,Lepraria nothofagiElix & Kukwa (atranorin, strepsilin, porphyrilic acid) from Argentina andL. stephanianaElix, Flakus & Kukwa (4-O-methylleprolomin, zeorin, salazinic acid, unknown terpenoid) from pre-Andean Amazon forest of Bolivia. In addition, the paper presents new records of 16 species ofLeprariafrom South America.Lepraria adhaerens, andL. diffusaare new to the Southern Hemisphere;L. borealisis new to South America;L. alpinais new to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela;L. caesioalba(chemotype I) is new to Venezuela,L. lobificansnew to Argentina,L. pallidanew to Peru, andL. sipmaniananew to Bolivia and Chile. The Chilean records ofL. membranaceaappeared to belong toL. sipmaniana. Therefore, the number ofLeprariaspp. known at present from South America is enlarged to 27 species. 4-O-methylleprolomin is reported for the second time from lichens.

A new lichenized fungus, Lecanora microloba Śliwa & Flakus, is described from the subnival belt of the Polish Tatra Mountains. It is characterized by small, saxicolous thalli with minutely lobulate marginal areoles and mostly broadly sessile and constantly pale coloured apothecia that are grouped predominantly in the centre of the thallus. Anatomically the species is distinguished by coarse granules in the epithecium which are distinctly bright in polarized light. The species contains gyrophoric and usnic acids, zeorin and an unknown terpene as secondary metabolites.

Six new species of foliicolous lichenized fungi are described as new to science from Bolivian lowland Amazon forest: Asterothyrium vezdae Flakus & Lücking (Asterothyriaceae), Keratosphaera multiseptata Flakus & Lücking (Pseudoperisporiaceae), Phylloblastia bielczykiae Flakus & Lücking (Verrucariaceae), Porina boliviana Flakus & Lücking (Porinaceae), Tapellaria intermedia Flakus & Lücking (Pilocarpaceae) and Trichothelium subargenteum Flakus & Lücking (Porinaceae). In addition, new records of 70 lichen species in Bolivia are listed. Of these, 52 are new to Bolivia.

New records of 15 Lepraria species from South America are presented. Two species are newly described from the Bolivian Andes: Lepraria achariana Flakus & Kukwa (major compounds: lecanoric, angardianic/roccellic acids and anthraquinones) and L. neojackii Flakus & Kukwa (major compounds: porphyrilic, angardianic/roccellic, cf. rangiformic acids and anthraquinone). Lepraria impossibilis, L. lecanorica and L. rigidula are reported as new for the Southern Hemisphere, L. alpina, L. aff. caesiella and L. squamatica as new to South America, and other species as new to several countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay). In addition, two putative, undescribed species are discussed. Chemistry, ecology and general information concerning distribution of the species are presented, and the differentiation of some critical taxa discussed. A provisional key to Lepraria in South America is provided.