Parmelia is a genus of medium to large foliose (leafy) lichens. It has a global distribution, extending from the Arctic to the Antarctic continent but concentrated in temperate regions. There are about 40 species in Parmelia. In recent decades, the once large genus Parmelia has been divided into a number of smaller genera according to thallus morphology and phylogenetic relatedness.
The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2700 species in 71 genera, it is the largest family of lichen-forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: Xanthoparmelia, Usnea, Parmotrema, and Hypotrachyna.
Parmotrema is a genus of lichen belonging to the family Parmeliaceae. It is a large genus, containing an estimated 300 species, with a centre of diversity in subtropical regions of South America and the Pacific Islands.
Relicina is a genus of foliose lichens belonging to the large family Parmeliaceae. It contains 59 species.
Parmotrema abessinicum is a species of corticolous lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has been recorded from Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
Parmotrema aldabrense is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae that is found in Africa. It was first described by Carroll William Dodge in 1959 as a species of Parmelia. Mason Hale transferred it to the genus Parmotrema in 1974. The type collection was made in the Aldabra Islands, where it was found growing on tamarind. It has also been recorded from Madagascar. The lichen has an olive-buff coloured thallus measuring up to 14 cm (5.5 in) in diameter.
Parmotrema amboimense is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae that is found in Africa. It was first described by Carroll William Dodge in 1959 as a species of Parmelia. Mason Hale transferred it to the genus Parmotrema in 1974. The type collection was made in Cuanza Sul Province (Angola), where it was found growing at an elevation of 1,000 m (3,300 ft); Dodge also noted the presence of the lichen in Cameroon and Uganda. Parmotrema amboimense has a pale olive-buff coloured thallus measuring up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.
Parmotrema mellissii is a widely distributed species of corticolous lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first described by Carroll William Dodge in 1959 as a species of Parmelia. Mason Hale transferred it to the genus Parmotrema in 1974. The type collection was made in Saint Helena. Parmotrema mellissii has a pale yellowish-buff coloured thallus at least 12 cm (5 in) in diameter, comprising rounded lobes about 15 mm wide and long. It has been found in the southern U.S.A., the Neotropics from Mexico to Colombia and Brazil, Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania.
Parmotrema araucariarum is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first described scientifically as a species of Parmelia by Austrian botanist Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1909. Mason Hale transferred it to the genus Parmotrema in 1974. The lichen has been reported from Kenya, Tanzania, and South America.
Parmotrema zollingeri is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was originally described in 1860 as a species of Parmelia by German lichenologist Johann Adam Philipp Hepp, and named after Swiss botanist Heinrich Zollinger. Mason Hale transferred it to the genus Parmotrema in 1974.
Parmotrema andinum is a species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first described as new to science in 1879 by Johannes Müller Argoviensis as a species of Parmelia. Mason Hale transferred it to Parmotrema in 1975. It is found in Africa, Asia, and South America. In Mauritania, this species is used as tobacco. A metabolomic analysis of this lichen revealed the presence of 30 secondary compounds.
Parmotrema rampoddense, commonly known as the long-whiskered ruffle lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is widely distributed in tropical regions and grows on the bark of oak and palm trees.
Parmotrema arnoldii, commonly known as the powdered ruffle lichen, is a widely distributed species of lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has been recorded from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Macaronesia, and North and South America.
Bulbothrix meizospora is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is found in Africa, Asia, and South America, where it grows on tree bark.
Punctelia hypoleucites, commonly known as the southwestern speckled shield lichen, is a species of foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. First formally described by Finnish botanist William Nylander as a species of Parmelia, it was transferred to the genus Punctelia in 1982. The lichen is found in Africa, North America, and South America, where it grows on the bark of both hardwood and coniferous trees. Its greenish-grey thallus is covered with tiny white pseudocyphellae – minute holes in the thallus surface that facilitate gas exchange. Some macroscopic features that help distinguish this species from other related members of the genus include the presence and the structure of the apothecia, the absence of asexual surface propagules, and the light brown color of the thallus undersurface. Chemically, the presence of lecanoric acid in the medulla and atranorin in the cortex help distinguish it from lookalikes.
Parmotrema hypoleucinum is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. A study of Parmotrema hypoleucinum in Tunisia revealed that it contains atranorin and (+)-iso-usnic acid, chemical compounds of interest for their anti-inflammatory activity. The species was originally scientifically described by Austrian lichenologist Julius Steiner in 1918 as a member of genus Parmelia. Mason Hale transferred it to Parmotrema in 1974.
Parmotrema upretii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in India, it was described as new to science in 2003 by Pradeep Divakar. The type specimen was collected near Banjar in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, India at an altitude of 1,700 m (5,600 ft), where it was found growing on rock. The species epithet honours Indian lichenologist Dalip Kumar Upreti, who collected the type specimen.
Parmotrema robustum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It can be identified by its thin, leaf-like thallus, few tiny hair-like structures on the edges, short lobes with powdery edges, and a black underside with few root-like structures (rhizines), along with a wide brown area without these structures. It produces specific secondary metabolites, including protocetraric acid and atranorin, and sometimes usnic and fatty acids.
Parmotrema xanthinum is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It has a pale yellowish to greenish-grey body (thallus) that attaches loosely to its bark surface. First described in 1884, it was the subject of recent taxonomic studies that showed it to be the same species as the previously distinct Parmotrema madagascariaceum. The lichen can be identified by its broad lobes, 10–20 cm (4–8 in) across, with small finger-like projections (isidia) on its surface and hair-like projections along its edges. While particularly common in southeastern North America, including coastal and mountainous regions, it is widely distributed in subtropical and temperate areas worldwide. The species can be chemically distinguished by the presence of specific secondary metabolites including usnic acid and protolichinestrinic acid in its tissues.
