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The paper presents the first-ever report of lichens from Sholayar 10 ha permanent plot, with a total of 38 species under 23 genera and 14 families. Of these, one species, Allographa cinerea (Fée) Lücking and Kalb reported as new to India, and nine species namely Coenogonium dilucidum (Kremp.) Kalb and Lücking, Crypthonia albida (Fée) Frisch, Enterographa divergens (Müll. Arg.) Redinger, Graphis indica J. Kalb and Kalb, Malmidea fuscella (Müll. Arg.) Kalb and Lücking, Malmidea piae (Kalb) Kalb, Malmidea subgranifera (Kalb and Elix) Kalb and Elix, and Porina subinterstes (Nyl.) Müll. Arg. as new distributional records to Kerala. The genus Crypthonia is reported for the first time in Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material of the genus Lepraria from maritime and continental Antarctica collected in 1986–2007 was studied. Four species were distinguished, L. alpina, L. caerulescens, L. straminea and one putative new taxon provisionally called Lepraria sp. AO. L. caerulescens is tentatively resurrected from the synonyms of L. alpina for the chemotype with atranorin and angardianic/roccellic acid. Lepraria sp. AO is characterized by its granular thallus similar to other members of the L. neglecta group and the presence of two fatty acids, so far unidentified and not known from other members of the genus. Morphological and chemical diagnostic characters of all taxa, their distribution and ecological features are discussed. An updated key for identification of all Antarctic species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cladistic analysis of 44 species of the genera Cladina and Cladonia is presented. Pycnothelia papillaria, Cladia aggregata and C. retipora were used as outgroup taxa. The consensus of all equally parsimonious trees suggests a common ancestral origin for species in Cladonia and Cladina while the genera Pycnothelia and Cladia cluster outside this group. The results do not support distinction of Cladina at genus level although it is distinguished as a monophyletic group but within the genus Cladonia. The current sectional division of Cladonia is not supported. Sections Cocciferae and Helopodium are best supported but even these groups as currently delimited seem to in include elements that are more closely related to species of the other sections, e.g. C. carneola of sect. Cocciferae and C. pityrophylla of sect. Helopodium. Sections such as Unciales and Perviae seem to be artificial assemblages. In general the evolutionary scheme of the genus seems to be more complicated than revealed by the current sectional division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]