An emended circumscription of the genus Paulia Fée is given and the morphology and anatomy of the eight included species analysed in detail. Four new species are described, P. gibbosa Henssen and P. rhizophora Henssen from Bermuda, P. tessellata Henssen from Bermuda and Mexico and P. stipitata Henssen from Puerto Rico. The new combination P. cubana (Tuck.) Henssen is made. The genus is characterized by an umbilicate thallus composed of reticulately arranged hyphae; apothecia without an excipulum, with branched paraphyses and thickwalled ascospores; and a member of the Chroococcales as phycobiont with brown gelatinous algal sheaths in which characteristic particles are deposited. The species differ in the external morphology of the thallus and apothecia. The species all grow on limestone, and most of them are confined to islands; the distribution of the genus is world-wide.

The value of primary chemical compounds correlated with known secondary chemistry and morphological variation within the Ramalina siliquosa group has been investigated. A hundred specimens were collected on two different occasions from 13 different populations on the Swedish west coast during April 1984. Protein extracts were prepared from 27 on secondary constituents identified and morphologically analysed populations. The protein bandings were performed by means of isoelectric focusing. Twenty-two different banding patterns were analysed since two were destroyed during preparation and three others yielded weak patterns. The results indicated that three different banding pattern types could be discerned: type A originated from material containing norstictic acid, stictic acid, norstictic acid in combination with stictic acid and on acid-deficient material; type B originated from material containing salazinic acid or salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid; and type C originated from material containing salazinic acid, protocetraric acid, salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid or on acid-deficient material. Material of banding type A belonged morphologically to R. cuspidata (Ach.) Nyl. and material of banding types B and C to R. siliquosa (Hudson) A. L. Smith. Seasonal and developmental factors can, however, affect the production of both primary and secondary constituents. Since there are no obvious morphological differences between the different chemical races within R. siliquosa s. str. and as material of salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid yielded both type B and type C banding patterns, the results do not support a taxonomy in the R. siliquosa group recognizing more than two species.

An examination of the holotype or lectotype of eight taxa, first described from Australia, in the genus Cladonia has shown that the names are, with the exception of Cladonia fruticulosa Krempelh., synonyms of previously described taxa. The taxa examined were as follows (with the correct name in parentheses); C. cariosa var. diffissa F. Wilson (C. enantia Nyl.); C. conchata Nyl. (C. pyxidata (L.)Hoffm.); C. cornucopioides var. grandis Krempelh. (C. pleurola (Flörke) Schaerer); C. deformis var. tasmanica Krempelh. (C. subdigitata Nyl.); Cenomyce firma Laurer, Cladonia firma (Laurer) Krempelh. (C. murrayi W. Martin); C. lepidula Krempelh. (C. ochrochlora Flörke); C. pergracilis Krempelh. (C. ochrochlora Florke); C. subsquamosa var. pulverulenta Vainio (C. squamosula Müll. Arg.) Homosekikaic acid is reported to occur with thamnolic acid in C. squamosula Müll. Arg.

Five species of the lichen genus Haematomma Massal. s.l. (Ascomycotina, Lecanoraceae s.l.) are reported for New Zealand. Two new species H. alpinum and H. saxicola are described, and H. sorediatum is reported from New Zealand for the first time. Two other species, H. babingtonii, and H. hilare, are also reported. All five species appear to belong to the H. puniceutn group. Pseudoplacodiolic acid is reported in the genus Haematomma for the first time.

The lichen Caloplaca aurantia, when growing on concrete roof tiles, accumulates high concentrations of heavy metals. The uptake correlates with the ambient metal concentration. The results of lichen and substratum analyses of samples from a heavily polluted area indicate that the concentrations of metals in the lichen are many times higher than in the substratum. The relative content of the eight metals, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd was determined. The content of Fe, Cr, Ni and Cd was not significantly different in the various tile zones sampled. Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni and Cd were mainly taken up by the lichen directly from the atmosphere. The uptake of these metals from the tile is almost negligible. The maximum uptake of Pb by C. aurantia from the tile glaze was 10.95°° of the total amount in the lichen. The presence of the lichen on the tiles prevents the penetration of Pb, Zn and Mn into the substratum.

Bryona tortuosa is reported as new to northern Europe. Notes on its morphology, chemistry, ecology and distribution are given and the distinction from its closest ally, B. fremontii, is discussed.