Study On The Lichen Genus Lecidea From Northwestern China

Lecidea is classified into Lecideaceae which is under Lecanorales, Ascomycetes, Ascomycota, Fungi. The thallus of Lecidea is mainly crustose, and grows on rocks or bark of trees. Lecidea is one of the largest genera with worldwide distribution. Lecidea sensu stricto contains about 100 species, and Lecidea sensu lato is composed of a hetero genus assemblage of well over 400 species.The studies of the lichen genus Lecidea are performed according to the morphology, anatomy, chemistry, geography and ecology on the basis of investigation of the specimens from Northwestern China. Twenty species are reported in this paper. Among them sixteen species are reported as new to China, they are Lecidea atrobrunnea (subsp. atrobrunnea, subsp. stictica,subsp. saxosa),L. cinerata, L. berengeriana, L. brodoana, L. diducen, L. mannii, L. erythrophaea, L. fuscoatrata, L. fuscoatrina, L. kingmanii, L. laboriosa, L. sauteri, L. pseudaglaea, L. spheniscidarum, L. subleucothallina, L. subpaupercula.The chemical constituents are identified by using thin layer chromatography and chemical spot test. Twenty substances are detected from the Lecidea specimens examined. The TLC characters of these substances are also provided. The key to species is presented in the paper. Each specie is described morphologically, anatomically, chemically and geographically in detail. The morphological photos of the thalli of all the species are provided, and a figure illustrating the ascus and spores of the genus is also given in the paper.