The genus Lepraria (lichen-forming fungi) in Hungary

The genus Lepraria was a neglected lichen group in Hungary for a long time. Its species were difficult to differentiate in the lack of fruit-bodies. Generally the entire thallus consists of soredia. Chemical characters were investigated by spot reactions only. However, international investigations of the last decades show fine morphological characters seen only by high magnification and resolution microscopic investigations. Furthermore lichen secondary metabolites analysed by thin-layer chromatography is a more advanced method for detecting these diagnostic characters. Application of the revised character set resulted in identification of 9 species in Hungary. These species are illustrated by micrographs, and some details of the analysis on lichen secondary metabolites are presented. So far about 350 specimens were analysed. Fresh collections from various areas within Hungary and the surrounding countries are still necessary to clear the exact distribution of the species in our region. The work is supported by the projects OTKA K81232 and NKFI K124341