A checklist of lichens from Iraq, with four new records of lichens from Iraq

Abstract

The lichen species of Iraq are poorly known and no accurate checklist has been produced so far. Here we carried out an extensive review of existing literature and carried out additional field work to expand the knowledge of lichens in Iraq. We present the first checklist of lichens in Iraq which comprises a total of 236 species. The field survey identified four lichen species as new to Iraq. Although this checklist is not a full checklist of the lichens of Iraq it represents the most complete list to date. It is likely that increased sampling will lead to further new records of lichen species in Iraq.