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552 ... Hawksworth, Editor
but as pointed out by Per Magnus in the Preface, covering the lichens with
cyanobacterial partners proved more difficult than at first perceived as many
small genera had not been critically assessed in the region. Twelve families
are covered, Arctomiaceae (2 genera), Coccocarpiaceae (1), Collemataceae
(4), Heppiaceae (2), Lichinaceae (21), Lobariaceae (3), Massalongiaceae (3),
Nephromataceae (1), Pannariaceae (9), Peltigeraceae (2), Peltulaceae (1), and
Placynthiaceae (3). All accounts are authored by Per Magnus, apart from
Nephromataceae and Peltigeraceae, which were prepared by Orvo Vitikainen. In
cases where a genus also includes species that have only a green photosynthetic
partner, these are also treated.
As only would be expected from these authors, the accounts are meticulously
prepared, and largely follow the format of the earlier volumes. Maps for 217
species are included, along with 232 superb habit or detailed photographs in
colour; an index to the collection details of the specimens photographed is
provided. The CD contains the same photographs with separate files in two
series, generic (with a file for each genus) and specific (a single alphabetical
list). Of especial value amongst these are those of the undersides of Peltigera
species, where the nature of the veins and rhizines are not always easy to grasp
from the written word or sketches; I am sure those pages will soon become well
thumbed!
Noting that there was a six-page appendix entitled “Nomenclatural
novelties”, I went to that with some trepidation at the name changes that
might be introduced. But what a relief when I found there were just three
new combinations, Epiphloea byssina (syn. Collema byssinum), Pterygiopsis
concordatula (syn. Pyrenopsis concordatula), and Thallinocarpon nigritellum
(syn. Thyrea nigritella), and 39 lecto-, neo- or epitypifications. Many of the
epitypifications relate to names of common species based on illustrations in the
1742 Historia muscorum of Dillenius, and are welcome in now tying these
names to specimens rather than figures. There is an index to synonyms, but
surprisingly not to accepted species where I would have found one to epithets
most helpful in view of the changing dispositions of some of the smaller species
covered. Some other changes are found in the text, including the resurrection
of the long-unused Massalongian generic name Collolechia dating from 1854
for the species previously referred to as Placynthium caesium; it differs from
Placynthium in both thallus anatomy (crustose not squamulose) and apothecial
characters (asci with an amyloid ring not a cap or sheath). I was also pleased to
see the placement of Thyrea nigritella resolved (see above) as it has also featured
in Gonohymenia and Lichinella in recent times.
While focused on the Nordic countries, as so many of the species are known
elsewhere in Europe or are circumboreal, this is a work lichenologists in general
should endeavour to acquire. It is to be hoped that further volumes in the series