The thesis deals with phylogeny, taxonomy and nomenclature of selected groups of the lichen genus Caloplaca. Particularly, the C. cerina group was closely investigated using molecular methods (ITS sequences), morphology and chemistry, based on material from Europe, and to some extent also from North America and western Asia. This approach resulted in the description of three new species (C. sterilis, C. subalpina, C. thracopontica), and detected an unexpected richness of lineages. Nomenclature, taxonomy, morphology and ecology of C. aurantia and C. flavescens from the C. aurantia group were studied in detail, including selection of the neotype of the former species. Their distribution was reviewed for the territory of the Czech Republic. Poorly known taxon C. aurantiomurorum from Algeria was lectotypified and synonymized with C. aurantia. Apart from the two groups, C. phlogina and C. scythica, differing partly in thallus colour and distinctly in distribution, were examined using both molecular (ITS sequences) and phenotypic data and found to be conspecific.