Flavoparmelia
Flavoparmelia is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. Because of their appearance, they are commonly known as greenshield lichens. The widely distributed genus contains 32 species. It was circumscribed by American lichenologist Mason Hale in 1986 to contain 17 former Pseudoparmelia species with broad lobes, usnic acid in the cortex, and isolichenan in the cell walls. Description Flavoparmelia lichens are medium sized foliose lichens that are yellow-green in colour, with a thallus comprising rounded lobed that measure 2–8 mm wide, which form flat and loosely attached patches that are wide. Older parts of the upper thallus surface are wrinkled, while the newer parts are smooth. There is a black lower surface with simple, unbranched rhizines, and a distinct bare zone around the margin. The photobiont partner is green algae from genus Trebouxia. Flavoparmelia has larger spores than other segregate genera of Pseudoparmelia. Biogeography The distributional ranges of Flavoparmelia species have been shaped by both long-distance dispersal and vicariance. A 2013 study identified more geographical structure within Flavoparmelia than previously recognized, with some species having wider distributions than others. The authors suggest that phenotypical species delimitation often underestimates true diversity. Flavoparmelia originated in southern South America, and its