The epiphytic lichen Alyxoria varia is often interpreted as an extremely variable species or as a complex of multiple species that is not yet well understood. Alyxoria lichenoides is sometimes recognized as a separate species, and recently Alyxoria viridipruinosa was newly described. However, it is still poorly known which characteristics are useful to distinguish these species from A. varia. Here, we studied and measured morphological characteristics of 83 specimens of A. varia s.l., mainly from the Netherlands, but with some additional specimens from other European countries. We measured the dimensions of the lirellae, ascospores and conidia. We found that Alyxoria lichenoides, A. varia and A. viridipruinosa can be reliably separated by differences in the size of their conidia. There are also differences in the size of the lirellae, size of the pycnidia and ascospores, but due to overlap not all specimens can be identified based on those characteristics alone. Alyxoria lichenoides and A. viridipruinosa are very variable species with respect to the abundance of pycnidia, size and shape of the lirellae, thallus color and pruina presence. Some morphotypes can, however, still be identified with certainty in the field. Alyxoria lichenoides is currently one of the most common epiphytic lichens in the Netherlands, especially in coastal areas. It occurs in woodlands, parks and on roadside trees. Alyxoria viridipruinosa occurs in similar habitats, but is somewhat scarcer, and due to its smaller size and generally inconspicuous thallus easily overlooked. Alyxoria varia is rare in the Netherlands and occurs in drier habitats. It prefers woodlands and parks and is not bound to coastal areas. We recommend that lichenologists in Europe distinguish Alyxoria varia, A. viridipruinosa and A. lichenoides as three separate species. Future studies that include molecular data could reveal whether even more species are involved.