Leprocaulon Nyl.
Type : Leprocaulon nanum (Ach.) Nyl. ex Lamy [=Leprocaulon microscopicum (Vill.) Gams ex D.Hawksw.]
Description : Flora (1985: 246).
Leprocaulon is a genus of imperfect lichens included in the Lecanorales, genera incertae sedis (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005). Some species bear a superficial resemblance to a small, sorediate Stereocaulon; however, there is no close connection between these two genera since species of Leprocaulon lack sexual reproductive structures, and have a chemistry entirely different from that found in Stereocaulon. Eight species are known worldwide (Lamb & Ward 1974; Marcano et al. 1997; Goward 1999; Ryan 2002c), one of which is present in northern New Zealand, although the genus is still very poorly collected here and other taxa may occur.
