Column and thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of the following carotenoids in the thalli of 16 lichen species from southern Africa: torulene, l3-carotene, anhydroeschscholtzxanthin, Iycoxanthin, Iycophill, l3-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, astaxanthin, lutein epoxide, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, mutatochrome, mutatoxanthin, luteoxanthin, rhodoxanthin, l3-apo-2' -carotenal, apo-12' -violaxanthal and l3-citraurin. Two of these, tortulene and l3-citraurin, are reported for the first time from lichens. The concentration of the carotenoids ranged from 11,2 in Heterodermia japonica to 46,8 j.1g g-1 dry weight in Teloschistes chrysophthalmus. However, there was no obvious relationship between the major carotenoid present or the concentration of caroteno ids in the lichens and the exposure to light of the habitats from which they were collected.