Xanthomendoza

Regarding the genus Xanthomendoza:

Several phylogenetic analyses have shown that the X. fallax group (sometimes together with representatives from other genera of Teloschistaceae) cluster on a branch not related to Xanthoria s. str. (including the type species, X. parietina).

See references in Lindblom (2006) where I discuss Xanthomendoza in the Introduction:

"The redefined Xanthoria fallax group was characterized by presence of soredia as well as oblong or bacilliform conidia and presence of true rhizines (Søchting & Lutzoni 2003), thus excluding X. candelaria, which has ellipsoid conidia and hapters instead of true rhizines.

Species belonging to the Xanthoria fallax group form a strongly supported major clade in molecular phylogenetic studies either alone or together with non-sorediate species (Arup & Grube 1999; Gaya et al. 2004; Søchting et al. 2002; Søchting & Lutzoni 2003 [lineage A])."

In the table (Tab 3) in the original paper by Søchting et al. 2002), morphological characters are provided. Note that there is an error in the table heading: The third (fourth) column says "Xanthoria ulophyllodes group", but lists the characters of Xanthoria sensu stricto!!! The first (2nd) column has the correct heading of "Xanthoria ulophyllodes group", which were combined into the genus Xanthomendoza.