Labyrintha Malcolm, Elix & Owe-Larsson, a new genus in the Porpidiaceae, is described. It is based on the crustose taxon L. implexa Malcolm, Elix & Owe-Larsson, a saxicolous species from acidic rocks in alpine and subalpine areas in New Zealand. Labyrintha is distinguished from closely related genera by a combination of characters: cephalodia, immersed apothecia, large, simple ascospores (60–70 × 30–35 μm), halonate when young and dark-pigmented when mature, fusiform conidia, no cortex, no thallus chemistry, densely packed anticlinal hyphae, and a previously undescribed thallus anatomy in which the photobiont is arranged in anastomosing vertical sheets.

Cyanopyrenia japonica Harada, gen. et sp. nov. is described. It is characterized by having a coccoid cyanobiont, perithecia, sparsely branched paraphyses, thin-walled bitunicate asci, and simple hyaline spores. It resembles Verrucaria, Pyrenocollema, and some Lichinaceae in certain morphological respects, but has no clear affinities. It is known only from the type locality in Shikoku, southwestern Japan, where it grows on frequently submerged rocks in the main flow of a river.

Dirina mexicana Tehler from the western coasts of Mexico is proposed as a new species. It mostly resembles D. immersa and D. insulana from the western mediterranean region in Europe.

Gloeoheppia is re-established as a separate taxon; the genus differs from Heppia in apothecial development and thallus structure. Gloeoheppia and the related genera Gudelia Henssen and Pseudopeltula Henssen described here are placed in the new family Gloeoheppiaceae in the Lichinales. In habit, the genera of Gloeoheppiaceae resemble species of Heppia and Peltula, whereas in apothecial development they correspond to some extent to the Lichinaceae. The species Gloeoheppia polyspora Henssen, Gloeoheppia rugosa Henssen, Pseudopeltula dicyanophora Henssen, Pseudopeltula heppioides Henssen, Pseudopeltula myriocarpa Henssen and Gudelia mexicana Henssen, are described for the first time. In Gloeoheppiaceae the thalli are ecorticate and the hyphae reticulately branched. The prototunicate asci contain eight, or up to 16, colourless and simple, occasionally two-celled spores. In species of Pseudopeltula, the apothecia are of a complex structure. The cyanobionts are small and single-celled; in P. dicyanophora ‘ internal cephalodia ’ with an additional, filamentous cyanobiont are formed. Lectotypes are designated for Endocarpon turgidum Ach. and Heppia furva Hue in Patouill.

The health, abundance, metal content and species richness of corticolous macrolichens and bryophytes of Quercus ilex were compared at nine roadside stations in Montseny Biosphere Reserve, 40 km NNE of Barcelona, and at a control site outside the industrial metropolis. Stations were characterized by traffic levels and the correlated parameter airborne particles. Corticolous flora at all stations was dominated by sorediate Parmelia species (P. caperata, P. soredians, P. subrudecta, P. subaurifera, P. sulcata and P. perlata). Damage, mainly due to arthropod feeding and fungal parasites, ranged from 14 to 33% of mean cover per station in the park and was 10% at the control site. Elevated levels of Pb, Zn and Cu were found in large thalli near the roadsides.