The lichens of SW Asia have been intensively studied since the last two decades. However, early works of Steiner (1895, 1899, 1905, 1909, 1910, 1916, 1919 and 1921) are essential for the better knowledge. He described 64 species and 93 infraspecific taxa in his papers. Type specimens of these taxa are deposited in University of Vienna Herbarium (WU) and The Natural History Museum Vienna (W). Comparing these materials with other Aspicilia species and with the current floristical studies, some Aspicilia species seem to be endemic to SW Asia. Species like A. albocincta (J. Steiner) Şenkardeşler ined., A. amylophora (J. Steiner) Kondratyuk, A. aschabadensis (J. Steiner) Mereschk., A. kjachtensis (J. Steiner) Şenkardeşler ined. and A. polychromoides (J. Steiner) Hue represent these endemics. All of these taxa are ‘forgotten’ in lichenology, and they are waiting for rediscovering. Photos, types and descriptions of these Aspicilia species are presented here. This study was supported by SYNTHESYS and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). (Symposium: Endemics, especially in California and Poster: Biogeography and Floristics, Monday in Merrill Hall) ŞENKARDEŞLER, AYHAN Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey Preliminary work of a Synopsis of the Genus Usnea in Turkey Twenty-eight species belonging to the genus Usnea are reported from Turkey. However, suspicious species like U. anatolica Motyka, U. bithynica Motyka, U. czeczottae Motyka and U. syriaca Motyka are only known from four localities and they were given only in Motyka (1936-38), Czeczott (1938/39) and Verseghy (1980). In this study, distribution maps of twenty-eight species are given and the status of the critical four species is discussed. (Poster: Biogeography and Floristics, Monday in Merrill Hall) ŞENKARDEŞLER, AYHAN Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey Lichen bioindication in the Karaburun Peninsula (Izmir, Turkey) An air quality study using the IAP method has been carried out in the Karaburun Peninsula (Izmir, Turkey). The survey area was divided into 91 units, which were analysed for the frequency of epiphytic lichens on olive trees (Olea europaea L.). IAP values ranged between 0-40 and were classified into nine categories to produce an air quality map. The seashore was recognized as free of epiphytic lichens substantially because of the maritime effect. Availability of olives as phorophyte in bioindication studies was discussed. A reduced list of 16 indicator species has been suggested for the study area. (Poster: Environmental Monitoring, Friday in Triton) *ŞENKARDEŞLER, AYHAN1 and LİKÖS, LÁSZLÓ2 1 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey Botanical Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H–1087 Budapest, Könyves K. krt. 40, Hungary Contributions of herbaria W, WU and BP to the lichen flora of Turkey Exploration of the Turkish lichen flora is still not completed. Lichen records published by Steiner and Szatala up to the 1960s caused most of the difficulties. These lichens were collected by Andrasovszky, Bornmüller, Nabelek, Nemetz, Penther & Zederbauer, Selinka and von Handel-Mazzetti, and identified by Steiner and Szatala, but they were partly revised by others later, mainly in last 4 decades. A part of these revisions remained unpublished or the locality data lacking in some published revisions. To manage these problems and to find the requested information, approx. 400,000 specimens in The Natural History Museum Vienna (W), University of Vienna Herbarium (WU) and Hungarian Natural History Museum (BP) were carefully searched and checked for lichens from Turkey and 2263 specimens belonging to 547 species were found. This study was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and and partly by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA 047160). (Poster: Biogeography and Floristics, Monday in Merrill Hall) *ŞENKARDEŞLER, AYHAN1 and LİKÖS, LÁSZLÓ2 1 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey Botanical Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H–1087 Budapest, Könyves K. krt. 40, Hungary