Recognition of the Parmelia crozalsiana group as the genus Crespoa

Abstract

Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of the lichen family Parmeliaceae have revealed that the members of the Parmelia crozalsiana group form a sister clade to one containing members of the genus Parmotrema. The four species in this group were classified first in Parmelia, then Pseudoparmelia, and later Canoparmelia. Recently, the classification of this group was resolved by placing the species in the newly-described Parmotrema subg. Crespoa. This placement was justified by an absence of characters from the fungal reproductive structures distinguishing members of the group from those classified in Parmotrema subg. Parmotrema. As this classification obfuscates a morphologically and phylogenetically discrete group of foliose macrolichens that has always been recognized as distinct from Parmotrema s. str., we here recognize the group as the genus Crespoa. A discussion of taxonomic rank assignment based on character-types that are preconceived as diagnostic is also provided. © 2012 Pacific Northwest Fungi Project. All rights reserved.