The secondary metabolites of 150 specimens belonging to 29 species of Teloschistes were analysed with HPLC. Seven anthraquinones were detected of which parietin dominated with minor proportions of emodin, teloschistin, fallacinal and parietinic acid. The depsidones vicanicin, caloploicin, and isofulgidin occurred together with some compounds of unknown identity in varying proportions in T. flavicans, T. peruensis, T. stellatus, and one unnamed taxon. Nine chemosyndromes were found in the genus. Most species had only one chemosyndrome, but T. flavicans s. lat. had six syndromes. The geographical distribution patterns of these chemosyndromes in T. flavicans are discussed as well as the applicability of chemical characters for species delimitation in Teloschistes.