Ochrolechia

Ochrolechia is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Ochrolechiaceae.

Fossil history
Paleontological studies have revealed that Ochrolechia existed as far back as the Paleogene period, approximately 34 million years ago. This discovery was made through the analysis of well-preserved amber fossils from Europe. These fossils include several Ochrolechia specimens that show morphological similarities to modern species, such as O. subplicans and O. xanthostoma. Two of these ancient Ochrolechia specimens were found hosting lichenicolous fungi of the genus Lichenostigma, indicating a long-standing symbiotic relationship between these fungi and their lichen hosts. The presence of such fossils provides crucial calibration points for understanding the evolutionary timeline of both Ochrolechia and Lichenostigma.

Species
, Species Fungorum accepts 38 species of Ochrolechia:
 * Ochrolechia aegaea Kukwa (2009)
 * Ochrolechia africana Vain. (1926)
 * Ochrolechia alaskana (Verseghy) Kukwa (2009)
 * Ochrolechia alticola Q.Ren (2017)
 * Ochrolechia androgyna (Hoffm.) Arnold (1885)
 * Ochrolechia arborea (Kreyer) Almb. (1949)
 * Ochrolechia brodoi Kukwa (2011)
 * Ochrolechia cooperi T.Sprib. (2020)
 * Ochrolechia frigida (Sw.) Lynge (1928)
 * Ochrolechia gyrophorica (A.W.Archer) A.W.Archer & Lumbsch (1997)
 * Ochrolechia inaequatula (Nyl.) Zahlbr. (1913)
 * Ochrolechia incarnata (Leight.) Kukwa, I.Schmitt & Ertz (2018)
 * Ochrolechia insularis Kantvilas & Elix (2011)
 * Ochrolechia inversa (Nyl.) J.R.Laundon (1963)
 * Ochrolechia kerguelensis Ertz & Kukwa (2016)
 * Ochrolechia lijiangensis Q.Ren (2017)
 * Ochrolechia longispora Brodo & Q.Ren (2017)
 * Ochrolechia macrosperma (Müll. Arg.) R.W.Rogers (1982)
 * Ochrolechia microstictoides Räsänen (1936)
 * Ochrolechia minuta (Degel.) T.Sprib. (2020)
 * Ochrolechia neoisidiata Elix (2007)
 * Ochrolechia pallenti-isidiata Z.F.Jia & Q.Ren (2009)
 * Ochrolechia pallescens (L.) A.Massal. (1853)
 * Ochrolechia parella (L.) A.Massal. (1852)
 * Ochrolechia pseudotartarea (Vain.) Verseghy (1962)
 * Ochrolechia rhodoleuca (Th.Fr.) Brodo (1988)
 * Ochrolechia rugomarginata Q.Ren (2017)
 * Ochrolechia splendens Lumbsch & Messuti (2003)
 * Ochrolechia subathallina H.Magn. (1940)
 * Ochrolechia subpallescens Verseghy (1962)
 * Ochrolechia subrhodotropa (A.W.Archer) K.Schmitz & Lumbsch (1994)
 * Ochrolechia subrosella Z.F.Jia & Z.T.Zhao (2005)
 * Ochrolechia subviridis (Høeg) Erichsen (1930)
 * Ochrolechia szatalaensis Verseghy (1958)
 * Ochrolechia tartarea (L.) A.Massal. (1852)
 * Ochrolechia tiroliensis (Erichsen) Hafellner & Türk (2001)
 * Ochrolechia turneri (Sm.) Zopf (1896)
 * Ochrolechia upsaliensis (L.) A.Massal. (1852)
 * Ochrolechia weymouthii Jatta (1911)
 * Ochrolechia xanthostoma (Sommerf.) K.Schmitz & Lumbsch (1994)