Morphology, chemistry, and phylogeny reveal three new species of Lecidea (Lecideaceae) from China

Three new species, <i>Lecidea flavothallia</i>, <i>L. sublaboriosa</i>, and <i>L. tibetica</i>, are reported from China based on morphological, chemical, and molecular characters. <i>Lecidea flavothallia</i> is characterized by an orange thallus and the presence of schizopeltic acid. <i>Lecidea sublaboriosa</i> is characterized by a sparsely developed thallus, brown hypothecium, and the presence of 4-O-demethylplanaic acid in the apothecia. <i>Lecidea tibetica</i> is characterized by a well-developed thallus, I+ violet medulla, hyaline to pale straw-colored hypothecium, and the presence of 2'-O-methyperlatolic acid as the major secondary metabolite. All of the new species were collected from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Southwest China. Detailed descriptions, discussions, and figures are provided for each species, along with a key for all known Chinese <i>Lecidea</i> s. str. species.