The first lichen collection in Nepal was made by Nathanial Wallich in 1820-21. His collections were studied and described by Taylor in the same year and reported nine species as new to science. These were Alectoria spinosa, Parmelia atrocapilla, P. diademata, P. exsecta, P. nepalensis, P. wallichiana, Sticta wallichiana, and Usnea compressa. Nylander in 1860 published a monumental work on lichens entitled Synopsis Methodica Lichenum that included some of the Nepalese specimens collected by Sir J. D. Hooker and Thompson during 1846-1848.
The present checklist of lichens of Nepal enumerated 1129 taxa including infra-specific categories. They were belonging to 237 genera and 66 families. Cladonia was the largest genera having 81 species followed by Lecanora, Usnea, Parmotrema, Caloplaca, Leptogium, and others.