A new species of Phyllobaeis, P. subcrustacea, was identified by methods of morphology, anatomy, chemistry, and phylogenetic analysis based on combination of sequences of the internal transcriptional spacer (ITS), the large ribosome subunit (nuLSU), and the small mitochondrial subunit (mtSSU). It is characterized by the crustose thallus with clear schizidia; light reddish brown to dark brown apothecia with circinate, flat or sunken discs, obvious margin, unconspicuous podetia; simple or septate paraphyses; long-clavate asci, 8-spored, with apex I-; ascospores are ovoid to fusiform, hyaline, simple or 1-septate, I-. The type specimen was produced in Zhejiang Province, China. In this paper, phenotypic description and characteristic photos of the new species are provided, and a key of known species of Phyllobaeis is also provided.

Oxneriaria applanata and Oxneriaria densa from China are described as new to science. Detailed descriptions and morphological illustrations are provided. Species are classified by morph-anatomical, chemical and phylogenetic analysis of rDNA-ITS sequences. Oxneriaria applanata is characterized by the flat, peripherally lobate thallus, aspicilioid apothecia, disc covered by hyperplastic hyphal cluster, hymenium 220-260 µm, hypothecium 150-220 µm, 6(-8)-spored asci, ellipsoid ascospores (30-42×12-26 µm), and the presence of stictic acid and two unknown terpenoids. Oxneriaria densa is characterized by thallus with warty reticulation, lecanorine apothecia sessile, urceolate and dense, hymenium 140-175 µm thick, hypothecium 75-110 µm thick, (6-)8-spored asci, ellipsoid ascospores (21-32×14-24 µm), and the presence of stictic acid and two unknown terpenoids.

Based on morphological, anatomical, chemical and molecular systematic methods, a new species, Leiorreuma polycrystallinum, was discovered in the investigation of lichen resources from China. It is characterized by the following characters: thallus crustose; apothecia lirelliform; thalline margin completely covering the proper excipulum, with abundant crystals; labia entire; disc black, opened, with white pruina; exciple completely carbonized, with well developed basal exciple; asci 2-8-spored; ascospores brown, transversely septate, 5-10-septate, (36-)41.5-47× 7-9.5 μm. A phylogenetic tree, morphological descriptions, and pictures of the new species were provided. The similarities and differences between the new species and similar species were discussed. A key to the known Leiorreuma species from China was also provided.

Lichens are self-sustainable pioneer organism survived through mutualistic symbiosis of fungi and algae in the terrestrial ecosystem, which have strong stress tolerance to low temperature, drought, and heavy ion radiation, etc. The survivability of twelve lichen thallus samples originally collected from mountains and deserts and four lichen cultures is evaluated by using fluorescence staining method under space simulation treatment conditions including low temperature, drought and radiation. The results show that the same lichen has different tolerance ability to different treatment conditions, and different species under the same treatment condition show different tolerance ability. Under different treatment conditions, both mycobiont and photobiont in the lichen thallus are damaged more or less, however, mycobiont exhibit a certain degree of tolerance to all the simulation conditions in general. Compared with natural lichen thallus, cultures are much damaged, and they have higher tolerance to ultraviolet radiation and lower temperature than to drought and heavy ion radiation. The methods in this research can be used to evaluate the survival potential of lichens under space simulation conditions during space exploration in the near future.

Endocarpon and Placidium are important components of Verrucariaceae. A taxonomic study on these two genera based on phenotypic characters and molecular data demonstrates one species new to science, Placidium patellare, and three species new to China, Endocarpon adsurgens, E. neopallidulum, and E. rogersii. Detailed descriptions and feature photos of these taxa are provided.

The biosystematics is also known as phyloevolutionary biology or biotaxonomy, aiming at providing the bioinformations for research of biological resources in human sustainable development. Systematic tree analysis based on single gene and multigene segments is difficult to obtain monophyletic taxa of the same ancestral descendants. Homologous biosystematics is an analysis based on genotypes and phenotypes inherited from a common ancestor, and therefore the homologous biosystematics is the best way to explore the monophyletic taxa. The results of homologous analysis show that the subclass Umbilicariomycetidae has one homologous sequence S, with six types of ascus apex structures close to each other including Umbilicariales and five genera of uncertain position. The order Umbilicariales has one homologous sequence O, with the Umbilicaria-type of ascus apex structure. The family Umbilicariaceae has one homologous sequence F, with umbilicate thallus containing two genera: Lasallia has homologous sequence L, with pustulate thallus and monosporous asci, and Umbilicaria has homologous sequence U, with non-pustulate thallus and octosporous asci. The marginal species Lasallia pensyvanica has homologous sequence L, with pustulate thallus containing monosporous asci with muriform ascospore, and sequence U, occasionally with aerial rhizinae. The marginal species Umbilicaria caroliniana has homologous sequence U, with non pustulate umbilicate thallus containing octosporous asci with muriform ascospores, and sequence L.

The lichen-forming genus Diploschistes belongs to Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes, Ostropomycetidae, Graphidales, Diploschistaceae. This genus includes 48 crustose species worldwide, and is confirmed as monophyletic group. Based on morphological, anatomical and chemical observation combined with phylogenetic analysis of ITS, a new species of Diploschistes, D. viridis (referring to subg. Diploschistes), is found and described from western Tianshan Mountains. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, habitat and color photos of this species are provided, and an ITS phylogenetic tree was constructed by maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) method.

Lichens could produce a vast number of novel secondary metabolites but previous studies on Endocarpon pusillum affirmed that no secondary metabolite could be detected. However, genome sequencing of the lichen revealed 14 silent PKS genes and 2 NRPS genes. To activate the genes E. pusillum was cultured in optimized potato dextrose broth (PDB) and rice medium. Nine secondary metabolites including two new isoindolin-1-ones (1 and 2) were detected from the optimized PDB culture of the mycobiont, while three known compounds and a new naphthoquinone (9) were isolated from the rice culture. Structures of the new compounds were determined by NMR and MS data. The findings suggest that none or few detection of secondary metabolites in large number of lichens is probably related to the silenced genes in their genomes. Therefore, the activation method of silenced genes opens up an effective way for the research and development of lichen secondary metabolite resources.

The lichen community was investigated at 30 plots in the Dabancheng mountainous area. Phylogenetic tree was constructed by using molecular markers, and the phylogenetic signal of functional traits was tested, and the net relatedness index (NRI) and nearest taxon index (NTI) of the lichen community were computed to explore lichen community assembly mechanism. In addition, the important environmental driving factors of lichen community in the Dabancheng mountainous area were clarified by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and others methods. In total, 111 species of lichens were identified in the Dabancheng mountainous area, belonging to 14 orders, 25 families and 48 genera. Lichen functional traits showed significant phylogenetic signal (P<0.05), with lineage conservation. The phylogenetic structure of community varied with altitude gradients. The species community phylogenetic structure was nearly random to weakly dispersive at low-altitude areas where the humidity was low and the environment was disturbed, and habitat filtration and similarity limitation jointly acted on community assembly. Species community structure was phylogenetically clustered at mid-altitude, where the humidity was moderate, wind speed was weaker, artificial disturbance was less, and habitat filtration played a primary role in community assembly. Species community structure was phylogenetically overdispersed at high-altitude areas, where the humidity was high, wind speed was strong, artificial disturbance was almost free, and similarity limitation dominated community assembly. There was positive correlation between the altitude and species richness. Wind speed and humidity significantly affected the phylogenetic index, while altitude, humidity, wind speed and human disturbance significantly affected some functional traits. In conclusion, altitude, humidity and wind speed as the main environmental sieve significantly affected the assembly process of lichen community in the Dabancheng mountainous area.

Five lichen species new to China, Heterodermia galactophylla, Hyperphyscia crocata, Phaeophyscia fumosa, P. kairamoi and Physcia albata of Physciaceae, are reported based on morphology and chemistry. Descriptions, comments and thallus figures for each species are presented. All specimens examined are preserved in Herbarium of Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (HMASL-L).

Lichen is a reliable biomonitor for atmospheric element deposition, and its element accumulation ability has differences between species and between individuals. In the lichen biomonitoring studies using in situ specimens, the composite sample is often used to represent the average accumulation level of lichen elements at each sample point, but the representativeness of the composite sample and its difference between different lichens need to be further studied. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine the concentrations of 52 kinds of elements in Xanthoria elegans and Dermatocarpon miniatum in Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China. The intra-site variability and inter-species differences of these elements were compared. The results show that element concentrations in Xanthoria elegans are roughly similar to those in the congeneric species from similar habitats, confirming the characteristics of atmospheric deposition dominated by sand dust deposition in the study area. The element ranks in Dermatocarpon miniatum and Xanthoria elegans are roughly the same, indicating the same source of elements in both lichens. The concentrations of 7 nutrient elements (Ca, K, Mo, P, Rb, S and Se) are not significantly different between Dermatocarpon miniatum and Xanthoria elegans, indicating bioregulation of these elements in lichen thallus. The difference in Hg concentration between species is of no significance, possibly due to the volatility of Hg. Dermatocarpon miniatum has 1.32-2.05 times higher concentrations of the 44 elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Gd, Ge, Ho, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, V, Y, Yb and Zn) than Xanthoria elegans, showing that Dermatocarpon miniatum has a higher element-specific accumulation ability. Except for Ca (CV>31%), the intra-site variability of the concentration of the other 51 elements is <27.5% in both Dermatocarpon miniatum and Xanthoria elegans, indicating that the composite sample can represent the average level of element accumulation in both lichens.

Based on morphological, anatomical, chemical and molecular data, a new species, Gypsoplaca albimarginata, collected from Bayinbulak Nature Reserve, is described. The new species is characterized by having white edged thallus with rhizoid and reddish-brown apothecium embedded in thallus. The species is described and illustrated, and its distribution and the difference between the species and other affined species are briefly discussed.

Lichen, a symbiotic organism of fungi and algae, has special physiological structure and unique living environment. It can survive in harsh environments such as deserts, high mountains, and frozen soils. Lichens and their endolichenic fungi product many secondary metabolites that exhibit divers bioactivities with potential application values. This review focuses on the recent research progresses of the bioactive secondary metabolites from lichens and their endolichenic fungi.

The endolichenic fungus Daldinia childiae isolated from Punctelia sp. was cultivated by rice solid medium and the fermentative product was extracted with ethyl acetate. The secondary metabolites purified by the method of silica gel column chromatography and recrystallization were identified by combining nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with mass spectrometry. The free radical scavenging ability of the compounds was determined by DPPH method. Eight compounds were isolated from Daldinia childiae, and they were determined as 4-hydroxy- benzeneethanol(1), 4-methoxy-5-car-bomethoxy-6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one(2), 1-(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl) butan-1-one(3), 8-methoxy-1-naphthol(4), 1,8-dimethoxynaphthalene(5), methyl 2-undecenoate- 3-undecanoate-cyclohexyl-1,4-dienyl ester(6), uracil(7) and acetic acid (8). The compounds 1, 6 and 8 were isolated from the genus of Daldinia for the first time. The compound 4 under concentration of 3mg/mL showed siginificant activity of free radical scavenging. The compound 3 and 5 exhibited slight free radical scavenging ability.

The extraction process and in vitro activities of polysaccharides from Umbilicaria muehlenbergii were investigated. The optimization of the extraction parameters was investigated by single-factor and response surface methodology. In vitro activities of the polysaccharides were evaluated by the methods of scavenging DPPH, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion and nitrite. Results showed that the optimal parameters were obtained under the conditions of 5 extraction cycles each sustaining for 4.5h at a liquid-solid ratio of 40:1 at 90°C. The polysaccharide yield extracted was 10.63%. The polysaccharides exhibited significant antioxidant and antitumor activities in vitro, and hopefully could be developed as a product with potential medicinal value.

Six species of the lichen genus Parmeliella are reported from China. Among them, P. appalachensis, P. himalayana, P. pannosa and P. thriptophylla are new to China. Descriptions, comments and a key to the known species from China with illustrations for the new records are presented.

Eleven species of the lichen genus Pannaria are reported from China. Among them, P. andina, P. elatior, P. prolificans, P. ramulosa, P. subfusca and P. tavaresii are new to China. Descriptions, comments, a key to the known species from China, and illustrations for the new records are given.

Four new records of Porina (Porinaceae) are reported from China, viz. P. fluminea, P. fulvella, P. tetramera and P. thaxteri. Detailed descriptions and morphological figures were provided for each species. The specimens were collected from Shandong, Guizhou, Guangdong and Hainan provinces. All specimens examined were deposited in Herbarium Mycologicum Academiae Sinicae (HMAS) and Plant Herbarium of Shandong Normal University (SDNU).

An endolichenic fungus strain Daldinia childiae DPS-165-9 was isolated from lichen Punctelia sp. collected from the Cloak Mountain Scenic Area in Duyun, Guizhou. The liquid-fermented product was extracted by ethyl acetate. Inhibitory activity of the extract against pathogenic and drug-resistant bacterial strains were performed by punch method. The results showed that D. childiae DPS-165-9 could inhibit Staphylococcus aureus 25923 and 6538, drug-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Z12, drug-resistant Brucella sp. B103, drug-resistant Bacillus subtilis 163 and drug-resistant Micrococcus luteus 261. The fungus is probably developable as a new antimicrobial agent.

The lichenised class Lichinomycetes only includes Lichinales, which consists of three families, i.e. Gloeoheppiaceae, Lichinaceae and Peltulaceae. Results of taxonomic study on Chinese Lichinomycetes based on phenotypic characters were reported. A new species Digitothyrea subdivergens was described. Heppia solorinoides, Thyrea asahinae and Thyrea girardii were new to China. Comparison and discussion with their similar species were given. These are basic data for compiling Lichen Flora of China, and resource information for implementing ‘desert biocarpet engineering’.

Based on systematic analysis of symplesiomorphy together with synapomorphy Umbilicaria laceratula (1926) has been combined as Lasallia laceratula comb. nov. and Lasallia rossica (1978) has been treated as a heterotypic synonym of Lasallia laceratula. U. caucasica (1885) has been treated as the heterotypic synonym of Lasallia pensylvanica, and Gyrophora proboscidea var. orizabae (1926) is the synonym of Umbilicaria bigleri (1949).