Detailed morphological investigations and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS/5.8S nrDNA, mtLSU and RPB2 of the Umbilicaria crustulosa–U. spodochroa species complex reveal Umbilicaria hirsuta var. meizospora Harm. to be a separate species. The lectotype has been designated in ANGUC and a new combination Umbilicaria meizospora (Harm.) D. M. Masson & Davydov is proposed. Umbilicaria crustulosa var. badiofusca was recognized as the heterotypic synonym of U. meizospora and the lectotype was designated based on Frey's collection preserved in G. We provide a full description of U. meizospora and outline its distribution and ecology. The species is newly reported from Austria.

The Rostania occultata species complex (‘Collema occultatum s. lat.’) is revised in Fennoscandia and found to consist of four species, all epiphytes on deciduous trees: Rostania effusa A. Košuth., M. Westb. & Wedin sp. nov., R. occultata (Bagl.) Otálora et al., R. pallida A. Košuth., M. Westb. & Wedin sp. nov. and R. populina (Th. Fr.) A. Košuth., M. Westb. & Wedin comb. nov. Rostania effusa and R. pallida are newly described from humid habitats in old-growth boreal coniferous forests, usually with a mixture of deciduous trees, and from similar areas in the subalpine birch-dominated forests of Fennoscandia. Rostania effusa is characterized by apothecia with red-brown apothecium discs and an excipulum thallinum with a simple pseudocortex and cubic to oblong, muriform spores. Rostania pallida has apothecia with whitish to pale yellowish discs and an excipulum thallinum with a distinct cellular pseudocortex, and ellipsoid, muriform mature spores that are often constricted at the centre. A lectotype is designated for Collema quadratum J. Lahm ex Körb. The new combination Rostania populina is introduced for the species recognized until now as the variety Rostania occultata var. populina (Th. Fr.) Perlmutter & Rivas Plata. A key to the six species in Rostania s. str. is included.

The species of Heterodermia in Brazil have been revised based on literature reports, public databases and examination of 500 recent specimens from 15 states. So far, 43 species have been reported in the literature, two of which are not accepted here. We report 10 additional species from Brazil and describe 15 new to science, mostly from the Atlantic rainforest biome, raising the total number to 68, including two still undescribed species from Santa Catarina State. A key to all accepted species is given, keying out more species than represented in any previously published key of the genus. Based on new phylogenetic work, we do not accept the split genera that were recently proposed. We do informally recognize an additional group, the H. dactyliza-group. The following species are described as new: Heterodermia amphilacinulata M. F. N. Martins & M. P. Marcelli, H. caneziae M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. delicatula M. P. Marcelli & M. F. N. Martins, H. dissecticodiademata M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. dissecticoflabellata M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. flavodactyliza M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. flavulifera M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. labiata M. P. Marcelli & M. F. N. Martins, H. macrosoraliata M. P. Marcelli & M. F. N. Martins, H. minor M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. neocrocea M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. nigromarginata M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. phyllalbicans M. F. Souza & Aptroot, H. spielmannii M. F. Souza & Aptroot and H. sublinearis M. P. Marcelli & M. F. N. Martins. The following new combinations are also proposed: Heterodermia africana (Kurok.) M. F. Souza & Aptroot and H. borphyllidiata (Kalb & Meesim) M. F. Souza & Aptroot. Dissectic acid was found in species belonging to three different groups and was not restricted to (and characteristic of) one subgroup, as previously reported.

We provide an updated, worldwide key to species of the genus Carbacanthographis, which is characterized by lirellate ascomata, a carbonized excipulum, warty periphysoids, and mostly non-amyloid ascospores. New collections and revision of herbarium material revealed 17 species new to science: Carbacanthographis acanthoamicta, with a thinly corticate thallus, a completely carbonized excipulum, apically warty paraphyses, small and (sub-)muriform ascospores, and salazinic acid; C. acanthoparaphysata, with a completely carbonized excipulum, apically warty paraphyses, small and submuriform, amyloid ascospores, and protocetraric acid; C. aggregata, with aggregated lirellae, a completely carbonized excipulum, small and submuriform ascospores, and salazinic acid; C. amazonica, with a completely carbonized excipulum, small and transversely septate ascospores, and stictic acid; C. aptrootii, with a completely carbonized excipulum, apically warty paraphyses, small to medium-sized and transversely septate, amyloid ascospores, and norstictic acid; C. brasiliensis, with a completely carbonized excipulum, apically warty paraphyses, medium-sized and transversely septate, amyloid ascospores, and no substances; C. chionophoroides, with a completely carbonized excipulum, small and transversely septate ascospores, and protocetraric acid; C. halei, with a corticate thallus, a completely carbonized excipulum, small and transversely septate ascospores, and stictic acid; C. latispora, with a completely carbonized excipulum, very large and transversely septate ascospores, and stictic acid; C. megalospora, with a corticate thallus, a completely carbonized excipulum, very large muriform ascospores, and stictic acid; C. multiseptata, with a completely carbonized excipulum, very large and transversely septate ascospores, and protocetraric acid; C. novoguineensis, with a completely carbonized excipulum, small and submuriform ascospores, and salazinic acid; C. pseudorustica, with a corticate thallus, a completely carbonized excipulum, medium-sized and transversely septate, amyloid ascospores, and stictic acid; C. salazinicoides, with a corticate thallus, a completely carbonized excipulum, medium-sized and muriform ascospores, and salazinic acid; C. sipmaniana, with a completely carbonized excipulum, apically warty paraphyses, small and transversely septate, weakly amyloid ascospores, and norstictic acid; C. spongiosa, with a completely carbonized excipulum, inspersed hymenium, small, transversely septate ascospores, and stictic acid; and C. subchionophora, with a completely carbonized excipulum, small and transversely septate ascospores, and protocetraric acid. New molecular data confirm the position of C. megalospora in the genus. In addition, we propose one new combination, Carbacanthographis nematoides. The known world distribution of four species is expanded: C. amicta is reported from Papua New Guinea; C. induta from Thailand; C. marcescens from French Guyana and Papua New Guinea; and C. stictica from Colombia, French Guyana, Venezuela and Suriname. For all species, short descriptions and distribution notes are given, and most species are illustrated.

Gene expression variation can be partitioned into different components (regulatory, genetic and acclimatory effects) but for lichen-forming fungi, the relative importance of each of these effects is unclear. Here, we studied gene expression in the lichen-forming fungus Lobaria pulmonaria in response to thermal stress and parasitism by the lichenicolous fungus Plectocarpon lichenum. Our experimental procedure was to acclimate lichen thalli to 4 °C over three weeks and then expose them to 15 °C and 25 °C for 2 hours each, sampling infected and visually asymptomatic thalli at each temperature. Quantitative Real-Time PCR was utilized to quantify gene expression of six candidate genes, normalizing expression values with two reference genes. We found that two genes encoding heat shock proteins (hsp88 and hsp98), two polyketide synthase genes (rPKS1, nrPKS3) and elongation factor 1-1-α (efa) were upregulated at higher temperatures. Moreover, we observed higher expression of hsp98 at 25 °C in samples infected by P. lichenum than in uninfected samples. Finally, in partial redundancy analyses, most of the explained variation in gene expression was related to temperature treatment; genetic variation and long-term acclimatization to sites contributed far less. Hence, regulatory effects (i.e. direct adjustments of gene expression in response to the temperature change) dominated over genetic and acclimatory effects in the gene expression variability of L. pulmonaria. This study suggests that L. pulmonaria could become a valuable lichen model for studying heat shock protein responses in vivo.