A Key to the Microlichens of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 1991. (Bibliotheca Lichenologica, Bd. 40). II,337 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

From the Introduction: In an effort towards the consolidation of available information in a concise form on the lichens from Indian subcontinent, 70 genera and their about 700 species of macrolichens from India and Nepal had been keyed out earlier by Awasthi (1988).

In continuation of the same, keys have now been formulated for the so far reported taxa of microlichens from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Lichens reported from Sri Lanka have now been included in view of the possibility of the same taxa occurring in the southernmost part of India out of the taxa that have been recently reported from Sri Lanka. In contrast to macrolichens, considerable number of the taxa of microlichens from the area under treatment are yet insufficiently known, revised or even investigated. Often descriptions from the publications of a century back were the only information for several taxa. Naturally several aspects in context to the present day lichenological concepts and other details were not possible to be included. References prior to the publication of the catalogue of lichens from the area by Awasthi(1965) have usually not been cited for brevity. The recent synonyms are also according to the names of the taxa in that catalogue. It is most likely that some of the taxa reported earlier may now belong to othert axa if a revision of their specimens was undertaken. But is is almost impossible to check the identifications of all those reports. Therefore this work is based mainly on the publications that have been made up to the end of 1989. It is likely that monographic revisions, if and when undertaken may clear up the ambiguities, but even in that case the information given here may be helpful to the monographer.