The phylogenetic position of the monotypic genus Bulborrhizina is studied using molecular data from three loci (mtSSU, nuLSU and ITS) aligned with sequences from 95 other samples of parmelioid lichens. Bulborrhizina africana clusters within the predominantly paleotropical Bulbothrix ‘clade II’ with strong support. However, its relationships within this clade remain uncertain. The morphological characters used to circumscribe Bulborrhizina are interpreted as adaptations to the habitat of this species in semi-arid regions of eastern Africa. A formal synonymy of the genus Bulborrhizina with either Bulbothrix or Parmelinella is postponed until sequences of the type species of Bulbothrix become available that will allow us to identify which of the two clades of species currently placed in Bulbothrix represents Bulbothrix s.str.