This key includes two genera of the Parmeliaceae characterized by the presence of richly branched, Psora-type conidiophores (see e.g. Crespo & al. 2010), for a total of 3 species occurring in Italy (Nimis 2016):
1) Imshaugia S.L.F. Mey. - A genus with c. 7 species, closely related to Parmeliopsis, but differing in the smaller spores and the much smaller, bifusiform conidia. One species is widespread in boreal-montane habitats of the Northern Hemisphere, and occurs also in Italy.
2) Parmeliopsis (Nyl.) Nyl. – This genus includes 3 species, mainly corticolous or lignicolous, from boreal and cold-temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere and montane regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Molecular evidence supports the treatment of the two taxa occurring in Italy as distinct species rather than as chemotypes (Tehler & Källersjö 2001).

References

Crespo A., Kauff F., Divakar P.K., del Prado R., Pérez-Ortega S., Amo de Paz G., Ferencova Z., Blanco O., Roca-Valiente B., Núñez-Zapata J., Cubas P., Argüello A., Elix J.A., Esslinger T.L., Hawksworth D.L., Millanes A., Molina M.C., Wedin M., Ahti T., Aptroot 2010. Phylogenetic generic classification of parmelioid lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) based on molecular, morphological and chemical evidence. Taxon, 59, 6: 1735-1753.
Tehler A., Källersjö M. 2001. Parmeliopsis ambigua and P. hyperopta (Parmeliaceae): species or chemotypes? Lichenologist, 33, 5: 403-408.
Nimis P.L. 2016. The lichens of Italy. A second annotated catalogue. EUT, Trieste, 740 pp.

Last modified: March, 19, 2022

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