PHYTOGEOGRAPHY OF LECIDEOID LICHENS IN JAPAN

The distribution of some representative taxa belonging to lecideoid lichens in the Japanese archipelago, with diverse climatic zones and complicated geographical conditions, are reported with taxonomic discussions. Based on the distribution pattern of each genus, the following three groups can be recognized: groups of genera occurring in "higher altitudes or boreal or arctic region", "lower altitudes or warm temperate-subtropical region" and "lower to higher altitudes or warm temperate to boreal region". Although number of species are commonly distributed or well known in Europe or in North America, some of them have been found from only one or a few localities in Japan. Chemical differences among taxa, which have similar morphology and anatomy, and their distribution in Japan are mentioned.