The lichen flora on gravel plains in the Namib-Desert fog zone north of Swakopmund in Namibia was investigated at 25 sites along a transect extending from the coast 40 km inland. In total, 42 lichen species were found, classified into four groups with different distribution patterns: (1) species present both inland and along the coast, (2) species restricted to the coast, (3) species common inland but absent from the coast, and (4) species occupying zones further inland. Both climatic and mechanical factors affect these lichen distribution patterns