Puttea, gen. nov., erected for the enigmatic lichen Lecidea margaritella

A new genus Puttea S. Stenroos & Huhtinen is described for the lichen species formerly known as Fellhanera margaritella (Hulting) Hafellner. The study was based on phylogenetic analyses of the mtSSU as well as on anatomical and ecological investigations. Puttea is characterized by its inconspicuous thallus, gelatinized exipulum of radiating hyphae, hemiamyloid asci of the Psora-type arising from croziers, non-septate spores and a crystalline layer covering the hymenium and excipulum. The currently monospecific genus grows almost exclusively on the liverwort Ptilidium pulcherrimum and has so far been reported from Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. The taxonomic position of Puttea could not be reliably assessed but in the present analyses it appears, together with Lecidea hypopta, in a clade comprising the Sphaerophoraceae, Psoraceae, Ramalinaceae and Pilocarpaceae.