Pseudocyphellaria

Pseudocyphellaria is a genus of large, leafy lichens that are sometimes referred to as "specklebelly" lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in south temperate regions, and contains about 170 species. They resemble Lobaria, except that most species of Pseudocyphellaria have conspicuous pseudocyphellae on their lower surface, a characteristic that was once considered unique to this genus. Some species contain pulvinic acid-related pigments; in these species the soredia and pseudocyphellae can be bright yellow.

==Taxonomy== Pseudocyphellaria was originally circumscribed in 1890 by Finnish lichenologist Edvard August Vainio, with P. aurata as the type species. In the 2010s, molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that this species, along with a few others, nested within a small clade separate from most Pseudocyphellaria. These species, characterised by a yellow medulla containing pulvinic acid derivatives and fernene triterpenoids, were placed in a resurrected genus, Crocodia, while Pseudocyphellaria was proposed for conservation with a new type species, P. crocata. This proposal was later accepted by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi.