Table 3.

Key characteristics of the Buelliaepigaea-group.

Species	Thallus	Apothecia	Exciple	Spores	Ornamentation of spores	Major chemistry	Pycnidia	Parasitic fungi
B.alpina	effigurate, lobes linear, closely aggregate; covered with granulose pruina	flat, margin wavy and irregular	dispersa-type	Callispora-type; four-spored	densely rugulate, resulting in rough surface	atranorin	not seen	not seen
B.asterella	effigurate, lobes short and connected; surface with fine pruina	convex	aethalea-type	Buellia-type; often four well developed spores	microfoveate	atranorin, stictic acid, norstictic acid	rare	not seen
B.dijiana	not effigurate, crustose to granulose-squamulose; surface with fine pruina; dispersive	soon irregularly convex	aethalea-type	Buellia-type	warty, microrugulate	arthothelin	filiform conidia	rare
B.elegans	effigurate, lobes short to slender, multi-forked; covered with granulose pruina	flat to convex	dispersa-type	Buellia-type	Loosely rugulate, resulting in rough surface	a) atranorin; b) atranorin and 2'-O-methylperlatoric (in Asia)	not seen	common
B.epigaea	not effigurate, crusty, uneven to wrinkled; surface with fine pruina	flat	aethalea-type	Callispora-type	surface densely areolate and rough	no secondary metabolite	rare	rare
B.georgei	effigurate, marginal lobes short and often forming rosettes; surface with white granulose pruina	flat or sometimes slightly convex	aethalea-type	Buellia-type	surface densely areolate and rough	arthothelin	filiform conidia	common
B.lobata	effigurate, marginal lobes distinct but short, the tips of lobes dark; surface with lightly fine pruina	apothecia disc below margin	aethalea-type	Buellia-type; often four well developed spores	warty, microrugulate	arthothelin, thuringione	filiform conidia	common
B.zoharyi	effigurate, lobes obvious; covered with granulose pruina	flat to convex	dispersa-type	Buellia-type	microfoveate	atranorin, norstictic acid, stictic acid	common	rare