Abstract
The aromatic compounds of more than 400 specimens of 33 species of the lichen genus Umbilicaria have been investigated by HPLC. Additionally to gyrophoric, hiascic, lecanoric, ovoic and umbilicaric acids, atranorin, norstictic and stictic acids, the new depside crustinic acid has been found. Structure elucidation of crustinic acid was made by means of HPLC cochromatography, NMR , UV and mass spectrometry. Now the secondary product patterns of Umbilicaria species are discussed and their significance for systematic purposes is shown.