Pilocarpaceae

The Ectolechiaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. The species of this family have a cosmopolitan distribution and have been found in a variety of climatic regions. The family was first described by Alexander Zahlbruckner in 1905, originally for a group of tropical, leaf-dwelling lichens. Its scope has since expanded considerably, and the family now encompasses both tropical genera such as Byssoloma and Calopadia and the large, predominantly temperate-to-arctic genus Micarea. As of 2026, the family contains more than 30 genera and an estimated 470 species. It has also been referred to in some sources as Pilocarpaceae, although current treatments use Ectolechiaceae.