List of lichens named by Carl Linnaeus

The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus described 110 lichen species in his various works between 1753 and 1774, chiefly in the first (1753) and second (1763) editions of Species Plantarum, and in later works such as Systema Naturae and Mantissa plantarum. Although Linnaeus showed much less interest in lichens than in flowering plants, he recognized their ecological role as pioneer organisms in primary ecological successions. Contrary to popular belief,^[1][2][3] he never referred to lichens as the rustici pauperrimi ("the poorest peasants") or "poor trash of nature": that phrase was introduced by Georg Franz Hoffmann in 1787 and later misattributed to Linnaeus himself.^[4]

Of the roughly 2,000 lichen species now known from northern Europe, Linnaeus recognized only about 5% in his treatments. Most of his lichen names were based on material from northern Europe, especially Sweden, with only a handful of species described from specimens collected outside Europe. His lichen accounts were usually brief, consisting of short diagnostic phrases with few details of morphology, variation or ecology when judged against modern species descriptions. Even so, the Linnaean Herbarium at the Linnean Society of London contains 324 sheets with lichens and lichen-like organisms, although not all of these represent original material available to him at the time of publication.^[5]

Many of Linnaeus's lichen names are still in use today, though now placed in genera that did not exist in his time, and his species serve as the types for several important lichen genera including Cladonia, Lecidea, Lobaria, Parmelia, Peltigera, Ramalina and Usnea.^[5] At the same time, some of his species concepts were broad by modern standards. For example, his Lichen subfuscus and Lichen geographicus each correspond to species complexes that are now divided into several segregate taxa on morphological and molecular grounds.^[6] Other Linnaean names have been formally rejected or conserved with different types to preserve prevailing usage and stabilize nomenclature.^[5]

The typification and interpretation of Linnaean lichen names has therefore required sustained effort by lichenologists, involving critical study of his specimens, publications and other historical sources to determine the correct application of each name under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.^[7] This list assembles all 110 Linnaean names that Linnaeus intended for lichens in the modern sense, regardless of their present status. For each original Linnaean name (the basionym), it records the original year of publication, the current taxonomic status or accepted name, and the year in which the present combination was published. In the "Basionym" column, author citations are omitted because all names in the list were originally published by Linnaeus (abbreviated "L."). The treatment largely follows the typifications and interpretations of Per Magnus Jørgensen, Peter Wilfred James and Charles Edward Jarvis published in 1994, supplemented by later taxonomic revisions and by current usage in major nomenclatural databases such as MycoBank and Index Fungorum.

Lichen taxa described by Carl Linnaeus and their current names

Basionym	Year of publication	Current name / status	Authority	Year of recombination	Image
Byssus botryoides[8]	1753	Lichenomphalia umbellifera	(L.) Redhead, Lutzoni, Moncalvo & Vilgalys[9]	2008
Byssus candelaris[8]	1753	Chrysothrix candelaris	(L.) J.R.Laundon[10]	1981
Byssus incana[8]	1753	Lepraria incana	(L.) Ach.[11]	1803
Byssus lacteus[8]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 1]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen ampullaceus[18]	1753	Parmelia omphalodes[note 2]	(L.) Ach.	1803	N/A
Lichen aphtosus[23]	1753	Peltigera aphthosa	(L.) Willd.[24]	1787
Lichen aquaticus[23]	1753	Dermatocarpon luridum	(Dill. ex With.) J.R.Laundon[25]	1984
Lichen arcticus[23]	1753	Nephroma arcticum	(L.) Torss.[26]	1843
Lichen articulatus[27]	1753	Usnea articulata	(L.) Hoffm.[28]	1796
Lichen atro-albus[29]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 3]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen atro-virens[29]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 4]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen barbatus[33]	1753	Usnea barbata	(L.) F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen burgessii[34]	1774	Leptogium burgessii	(L.) Mont.[35]	1840
Lichen byssoides[36]	1767	Baeomyces rufus	(L.) P.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb.	1802
Lichen calcareus[37]	1753	Circinaria calcarea	(L.) A.Nordin, Savić & Tibell[38]	2010
Lichen calicaris[18]	1753	Ramalina calicaris	(L.) Röhl.[39]	1813
Lichen candelarius[29]	1753	Polycauliona candelaria	(L.) Frödén, Arup & Søchting[40]	2013
Lichen caninus[41]	1753	Peltigera canina	(L.) Willd.[24]	1787
Lichen caperatus[42]	1753	Flavoparmelia caperata	(L.) Hale[43]	1986
Lichen carpineus[29]	1753	Glaucomaria carpinea	(L.) S.Y.Kondr., L.Lőkös & Farkas[44]	2019
Lichen centrifugus[45]	1753	Arctoparmelia centrifuga	(L.) Hale[46]	1986
Lichen chalybeiformis[33]	1753	Bryoria capillaris	(L.) Brodo & D.Hawksw.[47]	1977
Lichen chrysophthalmus[48]	1771	Teloschistes chrysophthalmus	(L.) Th.Fr.	1861
Lichen ciliaris[49]	1753	Anaptychia ciliaris	(L.) Körb. ex A.Massal.	1853
Lichen cinereus[50]	1767	Aspicilia cinerea	(L.) Körb.	1855
Lichen cocciferus[51]	1753	Cladonia coccifera	(L.) Willd.	1787
Lichen corallinus[52]	1767	Lepra corallina	(L.) Hafellner	2016
Lichen cornucopioides[51]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 5]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen cornutus[55]	1753	Cladonia cornuta	(L.) Hoffm.	1791
Lichen cristatus[56]	1753	Lathagrium cristatum	(L.) Otálora, P.M.Jørg. & Wedin	2014
Lichen crocatus[57]	1771	Pseudocyphellaria crocata	(L.) Vain.	1898
Lichen croceus[41]	1753	Solorina crocea	(L.) Ach.	1808
Lichen cylindricus[49]	1753	Umbilicaria cylindrica	(L.) Delise	1830
Lichen deformis[55]	1753	Cladonia deformis	(L.) Hoffm.	1796
Lichen deustus[58]	1753	Umbilicaria deusta	(L.) Baumg.	1790
Lichen digitatus[55]	1753	Cladonia digitata	(L.) Hoffm.	1796
Lichen divaricatus[59]	1767	Evernia divaricata	(L.) Ach.	1810
Lichen ericetorum[29]	1753	Icmadophila ericetorum	(L.) Zahlbr.	1895
Lichen fagineus[29]	1753	Lepra amara	(Ach.) Hafellner	2016
Lichen fahlunensis[56]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 6]	style="text-align:center;" | N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen farinaceus[18]	1753	Ramalina farinacea	(L.) Ach.	1810
Lichen fascicularis[36]	1767	Gabura fascicularis	(L.) Otálora & Wedin[62]	2013
Lichen fimbriatus[55]	1753	Cladonia fimbriata	(L.) Fr.	1831
Lichen floridus[27]	1753	Usnea florida	(L.) F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen fragilis[63]	1753	Sphaerophorus fragilis	(L.) Pers.	1794
Lichen fraxineus[18]	1753	Ramalina fraxinea	(L.) Ach.	1810
Lichen fuciformis[42]	1753	Roccella fuciformis	(L.) DC.	1805
Lichen furfuraceus[18]	1753	Pseudevernia furfuracea var. furfuracea	(L.) Zopf	1903
Lichen fusco-ater[37]	1753	Lecidea fuscoatra	(L.) Ach.	1803
Lichen gelidus[36]	1767	Placopsis gelida	(L.) Linds.	1866
Lichen geographicus[37]	1753	Rhizocarpon geographicum	(L.) DC.	1805
Lichen glaucus[23]	1753	Platismatia glauca	(L.) W.L.Culb. & C.F.Culb.[64]	1968
Lichen globiferus[36]	1767	Sphaerophorus globosus	(Huds.) Vain.	1903
Lichen gracilis[55]	1753	Cladonia gracilis	(L.) Willd.	1787
Lichen hirtus[33]	1753	Usnea hirta	(L.) F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen islandicus[65]	1753	Cetraria islandica subsp. islandica	(L.) Ach.	1803
Lichen islandicus var. tenuissimus[65]	1753	Cetraria aculeata	(Schreb.) Fr.	1826
Lichen jubatus[33]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 7]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen juniperinus[42]	1753	Vulpicida juniperinus	(L.) J.-E.Mattsson & M.J.Lai	1993
Lichen lacteus[50]	1767	Varicellaria lactea	(L.) I.Schmitt & Lumbsch	2012
Lichen lanatus[33]	1753	Ephebe lanata	(L.) Vain.	1888
Lichen leucomelos[70]	1763	Leucodermia leucomelos	(L.) Kalb	2015
Lichen miniatus[41]	1753	Dermatocarpon miniatum var. miniatum	(L.) W.Mann	1825
Lichen nivalis[41]	1753	Nephromopsis nivalis	(L.) Divakar, A.Crespo & Lumbsch	2017
Lichen olivaceus[56]	1753	Melanohalea olivacea	(L.) O.Blanco, A.Crespo, Divakar, Essl., D.Hawksw. & Lumbsch	2004
Lichen omphalodes[56]	1753	Parmelia omphalodes	(L.) Ach.	1803
Lichen pallescens[45]	1753	Ochrolechia pallescens	(L.) A.Massal.	1853
Lichen parellus[50]	1767	Ochrolechia parella f. parella	(L.) A.Massal.	1852
Lichen parietinus[56]	1753	Xanthoria parietina var. parietina	(L.) Th.Fr.	1860
Lichen paschalis[71]	1753	Stereocaulon paschale	(L.) Hoffm.	1796
Lichen pertusus[72] Nom. cons. prop.[73]	1767	Pertusaria pertusa	(L.) Tuck.	1845
Lichen physodes[49]	1753	Hypogymnia physodes	(L.) Nyl.	1896
Lichen plicatus[63]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 8]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen polyphyllus[58]	1753	Umbilicaria polyphylla	(L.) Baumg.	1790
Lichen polyrhizos[58]	1753	Umbilicaria polyrrhiza	(L.) Fr.	1825
Lichen proboscideus[58]	1753	Umbilicaria proboscidea	(L.) Schrad.	1794
Lichen prunastri[42]	1753	Evernia prunastri	(L.) Ach.	1810
Lichen pubescens[33]	1753	Pseudephebe pubescens	(L.) M.Choisy	1930
Lichen pulmonarius[65]	1753	Lobaria pulmonaria	(L.) Hoffm.[77]	1796
Lichen pustulatus[58]	1753	Lasallia pustulata	(L.) Mérat	1821
Lichen pyxidatus[51]	1753	Cladonia pyxidata	(L.) Hoffm.	1796
Lichen rangiferinus[71]	1753	Cladonia rangiferina	(L.) Weber ex F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen rangiferinus var. alpestris[71]	1753	Cladonia stellaris	(Opiz) Pouzar & Vězda	1971
Lichen rangiferinus var. sylvaticus[71]	1753	Cladonia portentosa	(Dufour) Coem.	1865
Lichen resupinatus[23]	1753	Nephroma resupinatum	(L.) Ach.[78]	1810
Lichen roccella[63]	1753	Roccella tinctoria[note 9]	DC.	1805
Lichen rugosus[37]	1753	Ascodichaena rugosa	Butin[82]	1977
Lichen rupicola[50]	1767	Glaucomaria rupicola var. rupicola	(L.) P.F.Cannon	2022
Lichen saccatus[83]	1755	Solorina saccata	(L.) Ach.	1808
Lichen sanguinarius[37]	1753	Mycoblastus sanguinarius f. sanguinarius	(L.) Norman[84]	1852
Lichen saxatilis[45]	1753	Parmelia saxatilis	(L.) Ach.[11]	1803
Lichen scriptus[37]	1753	Graphis scripta	(L.) Ach.	1809
Lichen stellaris[49]	1753	Physcia stellaris	(L.) Nyl.	1853
Lichen stygius[56]	1753	Melanelia stygia	(L.) Essl.[85]	1978
Lichen subfuscus[45]	1753	Nom. rej.[note 10]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lichen subulatus[71]	1753	Cladonia subulata	(L.) Weber ex F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen tartareus[29]	1753	Ochrolechia tartarea	(L.) A.Massal.	1852
Lichen uncialis[71]	1753	Cladonia uncialis subsp. uncialis	(L.) Weber ex F.H.Wigg.	1780
Lichen upsaliensis[45]	1753	Ochrolechia upsaliensis	(L.) A.Massal.	1852
Lichen usnea[52]	1767	Ramalina usnea	(L.) R.Howe	1914
Lichen velleus[58]	1753	Umbilicaria vellea	(L.) Ach.	1794
Lichen venosus[23]	1753	Peltigera venosa	(L.) Hoffm.	1789
Lichen ventosus[29]	1753	Ophioparma ventosa	(L.) Norman	1852
Lichen vernalis[90]	1768	Biatora vernalis	(L.) Fr.	1822
Lichen vulpinus[33]	1753	Letharia vulpina	(L.) Hue[91]	1899
Mucor fulvus[92]	1753	Chaenotheca furfuracea[note 11]	(L.) Tibell	1984
Mucor furfuraceus[92]	1753	Chaenotheca furfuracea	(L.) Tibell[96]	1984
Mucor lichenoides[92]	1753	Calicium salicinum[note 12]	Pers.[99]	1794
Mucor sphaerocephalus[92]	1753	Calicium lenticulare[note 13]	Ach.	1816	N/A
Tremella lichenoides[101]	1753	Scytinium lichenoides	(L.) Otálora, P.M.Jørg. & Wedin[102]	2014