Two species, Dicranum dispersum and Sciuro-hypnum ornellanum, are reported for the first time from North America. Both species were discovered among collections made in northern Alaska in the Philip Smith Mountains and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2004, and S. ornellanum also was collected in 1993 on the Seward Peninsula. Brief descriptions and illustrations of both species are provided.

Schistidum (sect. Atrofusca) viride is a new name for Grimmia latifolia Brid., hom. illeg. It is considered closely related to S. crassipilum. Schistidium viride is endemic to and widely distributed in eastern North America. It is an especially common Schistidium species in areas with calcareous rock.

Costesia spongiosa is known only from central Chile. The recent discovery of several small populations prompted an examination of diagnostic morphological features and the sampling of DNA for surveying the chloroplast genome for a 71-kb inversion diagnostic of the Funariales and Encalyptales, and for reconstructing the phylogenetic affinities of this monospecific genus. The species is fully illustrated and mapped. The affinities of Costesia to the Gigaspermaceae are here confirmed based on morphology and corroborated by chloroplast sequence data. Molecular data suggest that Costesia is most closely related to Oedipodiella and Chamaebryum. Although the species is locally common, it has disappeared from several localities and seems now confined mostly to a protected area. We propose that Costesia spongiosa be included as the first Chilean endemic bryophyte in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Funaria macrocarpa (Funariaceae) is shown to be an earlier name for Costesia spongiosa (Gigaspermaceae). The species is, however, retained in the genus Costesia and a new combination is hence proposed: Costesia macrocarpa. The species, endemic to central Chile, belongs to the Gigaspermaceae, a small family with six mainly monospecific genera with a widely scattered distribution in the Southern Hemisphere. Both basionyms are lectotypified. A morphological description and a discussion of the geographic distribution of the species are provided.

Schlotheimia consists of two subgenera in the Neotropics: subg. Schlotheimia with exserted capsules and long-campanulate calyptrae; and subg. Stegotheca with immersed capsules and short-conical calyptrae. A taxonomic revision of the 15 accepted names in subg. Stegotheca supports recognition of two species and a new variety. Schlotheimia appressifolia has lanceolate leaves, dentate upper margins, percurrent to subpercurrent costae and elliptical to isodiametric median cells. The names S. crumii, S. emergens, S. fasciculata, S. horridula, S. perserrata, S. puiggarii, S. serricalyx and S. uncialis are synonyms of S. appressifolia. Schlotheimia tecta has broader, oblong-lanceolate leaves, entire to serrulate and irregularly denticulate upper margins, percurrent or shortly excurrent costae and rounded, quadrate, or short-rectangular median cells. The names S. cuspidifera, S. furcata and S. robusticuspis are synonyms of S. tecta. Schlotheimia tecta var. jamaicensis var. nov. differs from S. tecta var. tecta in having linear-lanceolate leaves, consistently entire leaf margins and mostly larger, rhomboidal median cells.

A revision of Dimerodontium recognizes three species: D. mendozense, D. balansae and D. pellucidum, all found in southern South America and the last two also in South Africa, mostly epiphytic or saxicolous.

Indusiella, previously known from North America (Alaska), central Asia and North Africa (Chad), is reported for the first time for South America. A new species, Indusiella stellata, is described based on one specimen collected from Potosí Department in Bolivia. In addition, I. thianschanica is reported for the first time from Argentina and Bolivia. The new taxon is distinguished from I. thianschanica by its immersed and gymnostomous capsule, leaf costa without dorsal stereids and 8–20 guide cells in (2–)3–4 layers in the basal leaf region, and stems without a central strand. Both species are described and illustrated. The description of Indusiella is reëvaluated and a key to the species of the genus is provided.

The taxonomic identity and the geographical relationships of the Macaronesian endemic moss Fissidens luisieri have been studied using the chloroplast trnG_UCC intron, the spacer between trnM and trnV, together with the trnV intron and ITS1 and ITS2 sequences. A comparison of F. luisieri with the most closely related species, F. serrulatus, from the same geographical areas reveals that the distribution pattern of F. serrulatus and F. luisieri, rather than their morphological differences, explains the observed differences. Therefore, we conclude that both names correspond to the same species. One of the primers for the chloroplast trnG_UCC intron and both primers for the trnM–trnV region were designed for this study; they can all be widely used within bryophytes because they provide similar degrees of variability as other regions of the chloroplast genome such as the atpB–rbcL intergenic spacer.

Grimmia horrida, a new species from the NW of the Iberian Peninsula is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by the ciliate hair-points. Additionally, the leaves are linear, strongly keeled so that the two blades of the lamina touch each other near the costa and then curve outward, the lamina is bistratose only at the margins and in small areas, and the connection to the terete hair-point is very abrupt in most leaves. Although all the specimens are sterile, this combination of characters is unique in Grimmia.

Orthotrichum moravicum Plášek & Sawicki, sp. nov., is a confirmed record of a new species from the Czech Republic. The new taxon is described in subgen. Pulchella and illustrated by photos. Molecular data indicating the phylogenetic placement of the species are presented, indicating a sister relationship with O. pallens.

Two species and one variety of Microbryum (Pottiaceae) are represented in mainland China: M. starckeanum, M. davallianum var. davallianum and M. davallianum var. conicum. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and distribution information are given for China. Furthermore, spore morphology was examined with the scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Some species of Neckeropsis have leaf-like structures that develop on the perichaetia after fertilization of the archegonia. It has been suggested that these structures are either ligulate perichaetial leaves or multiseriate paraphyses. Using light microscopy, a detailed morphological and ontogenetic description was done for the paraphyses in the reproductive branches of N. disticha. Important developmental stages were also described for nine other species of Neckeropsis (N. exserta, N. lepineana, N. nitidula, N. obtusata, N. nano-disticha, N. crinita, N. undulata, N. fimbriata and N. andamana) to document the development of the different types of paraphyses. Transitions between uniseriate and multiseriate paraphyses were documented at different stages in the development of the fertilized branch. These were interpreted as a transition series similar to the heteroblastic sequence in branch leaves; where the uniseriate and multiseriate paraphyses correspond to the juvenile and mature stages, respectively. Of the nine species, five possess multiseriate paraphyses that are fully developed at different points of the progression series. In N. nano-disticha and N. crinita the paraphyses are thinner and fully developed at early mature stage, while in N. undulata and N. disticha the fully developed paraphyses are narrowly ligulate and represent the middle mature stage in the developmental sequence. In Neckeropsis andamana and N. fimbriata the paraphyses are ligulate to lanceolate and correspond to the late mature stage. These results provide ontogenetic data for paraphyses, and could establish the states and direction of this character for a phylogenetic analysis.

Sporeling development in Cavicularia densa was determined using controlled culture and light microscopy techniques. Ontogeny is typified by endosporic germination followed by early protonematal development via the production of a terminal quadrant of four cells which ruptures the spore wall distally. Sporeling production is triggered by the delimitation of a cuneate apical cell in one of the quadrants. Regular apical cell segmentation produces derivatives and adult merophytes that ultimately result in a juvenile Cavicularia gametophyte. The fundamental sporeling pattern exhibited by Cavicularia is shared only with that of its sister genus Blasia. Moreover, the patterns of sporeling and gemma/gemmaling ontogeny in Cavicularia and Blasia share quadrant systems of precise uniformity, thus reinforcing the close relationship between the blasialean genera.

Geocalyx lancistipulus (Steph.) S. Hatt. has recently been discovered from Western Himalayas (Uttarakhand), and is an addition to Indian bryoflora. The species is mainly characterized by the presence of a marsupium and its gemmiparous shoots. The discovery of the taxon from India extends its range of distribution within Asia (Japan, China, Nepal and India). With the present report, Geocalyx is now represented by two species in India, i.e., Geocalyx graveolens and Geocalyx lancistipulus.

The new lichenicolous fungus, Gelatinopsis acarosporicola, is described from southern California in western North America, where it grows on Acarospora socialis. It differs from the three other lichenicolous species, G. ericetorum, G. leptogii and G. roccellae in having subglobose to broadly ellipsoid ascospores and host selection.

The new lichenized species Sphaerophorus venerabilis (Sphaerophoraceae, Lecanorales, Ascomycota) is described and the long confusion with S. tuckermanii clarified. The names S. tuckermanii and S. globiferus var. gracilis Müll. Arg. are lectotypified, and a key to the species of Sphaerophorus in western North America is presented.

Letharia gracilis Kroken is validated as a new species of lichenized fungi from California and southern Oregon. Previously lumped under L. columbiana, but recognized as a distinct lineage by molecular work of Kroken and Taylor, L. gracilis is distinguished from L. columbiana by its sparse branching, slender, relatively smooth, drooping branches and distinct ITS DNA sequences.

This paper describes five new species of Caloplaca from Mexico and the central United States. Caloplaca fissurata, C. pacifica and C. michoacanensis are described from Mexico, and C. lignicola and C. pratensis are described from the central United States. Notes are given for C. soralifera, a new record for North America, and a new distribution map is presented for C. ulcerosa. Maps and color photographs are provided for the species treated.

A second species of Krogia is described from six localities in the West Indies (Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago). It differs from K. coralloides mainly in the shape of the squamules and in the presence of 4-O-methylcryptochlorophaeic acid. Eschatogonia minuta, intermingled in one collection, is new to the West Indies (Trinidad).

The new species, Enterographa diederichiana, known only from the type locality in Zambia, is described. It is characterized by distinctly rounded pseudostromata with punctiform to shortly lirelliform ascomata, (4–)7-septate ascospores without a perispore and the presence of roccellic acid in the thallus.

Pertusaria wulingensis Z. T. Zhao & Z. S. Sun sp. nov. is described from collections from Guizhou and Hunan provinces, China. The species is characterised by the pinkish pruinose disciform apothecia, the distinctly zoned margin and the presence of psoromic acid. It is known from mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest at elevations of 1240–1500 m.

Sculptolumina japonica (Tuck.) Marbach, a species growing on lignum, bark or decaying plants and hitherto known from subtropical and tropical areas and one locality in North America, is now reported from Europe (northern Portugal) and the Canary Islands (La Gomera). This species has been found to possess filiform conidia. As a consequence we propose to amend the genus Sculptolumina to accommodate species that have long filiform conidia in addition to hymenial oil droplets and ascospores with internal wall thickenings. New chemical data are reported for S. japonica, the world distribution of this species is mapped and illustrations of the ascospores and conidia are provided.

Algal and fungal symbionts of the lichenized genus Thamnolia typically co-disperse through thallus fragmentation, which may be expected to lead to fungal associations with a restricted range of algal symbionts. Here we examine the range of algae that associate with the fungus Thamnolia vermicularis. Phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer rDNA (ITS) sequences suggest that Trebouxia algae associated with T. vermicularis are not monophyletic. Algal and fungal phylogenies were compared, and although some congruence was found, a Mantel test found no significant correlation between fungal and algal genetic distances. An AMOVA suggested that ecogeographic factors play a stronger role than fungal genotype in structuring photobiont diversity. Additionally, as a species, T. vermicularis associates with a range of algae equal to or greater than that of many other fungal taxa.

Following our previous reports of extracellular laccase activity in lichenized ascomycetes, we investigated the diversity of laccase isoforms in lichens in 20 species from the suborder Peltigerineae. The molecular masses of the active forms of most laccases varied between 135 and 190 kD, although some lichens within the family Peltigeraceae had laccases with higher masses, typically varying from 200 to over 350 kD. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to confirm the accuracy of the electrophoretic estimates of molecular masses. SEC also clearly distinguished laccase from tyrosinase, another abundant cell wall oxidase in the Peltigerineae. Most species contained one oligomeric laccase isoform. Analysis of replicate collections of four species from different localities showed the isoform a given species contains does not vary with geographical location. The absorption spectra of lichen leachates suggested lichen laccases sometimes resemble the “yellow” laccases found in some free-living fungi. The thermostabilities of lichen laccases were only moderate; most of their activity remained after several hours at 40°C, but at 50°C activity was rapidly lost. Results indicate that considerable diversity in laccase isoforms exists in lichens.