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Australian Biological Resources Study

 

 

 

 

CHECKLIST OF THE LICHENS OF AUSTRALIA AND ITS ISLAND TERRITORIES

 

Updated 3 June 2009

 

Also available: Checklist of Australian Lichenicolous Fungi | Checklist of Pacific Island Lichens | Catalogue of Porinaceae

 

 

 

Australasian Lichenology

 

 

Issue 58 (2006); Issue 59 (2006); Issue 60 (2007); Issue 61 (2007); Issue 62 (2008); Issue 63 (2008); Issue 64 (2009)

 

Contents
A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z
Oceanic Islands | Foliicolous Lichens | Arid & Semi-arid Regions | Marine & Freshwater Lichens | References

 

The lichen flora of Australia and its island territories includes 3498 species and infra-specific taxa in 472 genera; 1194 taxa [34%] are thought to be endemic.

 

The eight States and mainland Territories of Australia have 3276 taxa; 1118 [34%] endemic. Island territories in the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans have 577 taxa; 64 [11%] endemic.

 

This checklist has links to approximately 680 illustrations, mostly colour photographs by Bill Malcolm and Alan Archer and line-art by Pat McCarthy. Click on the camera icons to view the images. Text updated in 2009 is in blue. There are links to c. 1350 species and infraspecific taxon descriptions, many with distribution maps. The checklist also contains 2849 nomenclatural and taxonomic synonyms and names that have been misapplied to Australian specimens.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Largest families & genera

Parmeliaceae: 614 taxa in 27 genera.

Graphidaceae: 336 taxa in 36 genera (incl. Thelotremataceae).

Physciaceae*: 275 taxa in 24 genera.

Pertusariaceae: 152 taxa in 1 genus.

Lecanoraceae: 122 taxa in 12 genera.

Teloschistaceae*: 111 taxa in 5 genera.

Lecideaceae**: 110 taxa in 17 genera.

Roccellaceae**: 110 taxa in 21 genera.

Porinaceae: 103 taxa in 2 genera.

Cladoniaceae: 102 taxa in 9 genera.

 

Xanthoparmelia: 297 taxa.

Pertusaria: 152 taxa.

Porina: 97 taxa.

Buellia*: 90 taxa.

Caloplaca*: 89 taxa.

Lecanora: 84 taxa.

Graphis: 77 taxa.

Cladonia: 76 taxa.

Lecidea**: 62 taxa.

Parmotrema: 62 taxa.

Usnea: 54 taxa.

Verrucaria: 50 taxa.

 

*Revision underway.

**Revision required.

 

Keys
Key to the Genera of Australian Lichens: Apothecial Crusts. Lumbsch et al. (2001; out of print).
Key to the Genera of Crustose Pyrenocarpous Lichens in Australia. McCarthy (2001l).
Key to the Genera of Australian Macrolichens. McCarthy & Malcolm (2004) [pdf]
 
Species keys and/or descriptions of the following genera [mostly based on Flora of Australia treatments (1992–2004)] are included:
Agonimia, Alectoria, Anzia, Arthrorhaphis, Badimiella, Baeomyces, Bulbothrix, Bunodophoron, Candelaria, Candelariella, Canoparmelia, Catapyrenium, Coccocarpia, Collema, Degelia, Dendriscocaulon, Dibaeis, Endocarpon, Erioderma, Flavoparmelia, Fuscidea, Fuscoderma, Haematomma, Heterodea, Heteroplacidium, Hueidea, Hypogymnia, Hypotrachyna, Icmadophila, Imshaugia, Kantvilasia, Lecanora, Leifidium, Leioderma, Leptogium, Lobaria, Loxospora, Maronea, Maronina, Melanelia, Menegazzia, Miltidea, Myelochroa, Myeloconis, Myelorrhiza, Neophyllis, Orphniospora, Pannoparmelia, Parmelia, Parmelina, Parmelinopsis, Peltula, Pertusaria, Phylloblastia, Physma, Placidium, Pocsia, Polyblastia, Porina, Pseudocyphellaria, Punctelia, Pycnothelia, Ramalodium, Ramboldia, Relicina, Relicinopsis, Roccellinastrum, Ropalospora, Sarrameana, Siphulastrum, Siphulella, Staurothele, Steinia, Sticta, Thelidium, Thysanothecium, Trichothelium and Verrucaria.
 

 

 

   
Map of Australian Lichens
Cladia retipora
   

 

 

 
 Taxa
 
Endemic
Australian Capital Territory ACT 421  
6
Christmas Island CI 102  
4
Heard Island HI 112  
13
Lord Howe Island LHI 174  
18
Macquarie Island MI 128  
20
New South Wales NSW 1469  
109
Norfolk Island NI 168  
8
Northern Territory NT 298  
16
Queensland QLD 1776  
275
South Australia SA 461  
19
Tasmania TAS 1043  
101
Victoria VIC 964  
59
Western Australia WA 653  
76

 

 

 

Symbols
* Accepted name based on an Australian type specimen
[*] Taxonomic synonym based on an Australian type specimen
 
In the literature lists for genera, italics [e.g. Elix (1994f)] indicate that a treatment of the genus has been published in the Flora of Australia. In such cases, pre-Flora literature is not normally listed.
 
Updating
This checklist will be updated regularly. Additions and corrections will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
 
Cite as ...
McCarthy, P.M. (2009), Checklist of the Lichens of Australia and its Island Territories.
Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Version 3 June 2009.
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/lichenlist/introduction.html.
 
Acknowledgements
I am especially grateful to the late Lyn Jessup for preparing the keys for online delivery, redesigning the site and teaching me how to maintain it. I also thank Alan Archer, Alan Bolin, Jack Elix, Gintaras Kantvilas, Paul Kirk, Robyn Lawrence, Simone Louwhoff, Bill Malcolm, Helmut Mayrhofer, Roland Moberg, Dag Øvstedal, Val Stajsic and Greg Whitbread.
 
Patrick M. McCarthy
Australian Biological Resources Study
GPO Box 787
Canberra
A.C.T. 2601
AUSTRALIA
E-mail: Patrick.McCarthy@environment.gov.au
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contents
A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | Foliicolous Lichens | Arid & Semi-arid Regions | References
 
 


Copyright

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Australian Biological Resources Study. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed in the first instance to Dr P. McCarthy. These pages may not be displayed on, or downloaded to, any other server without the express permission of ABRS.


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