Heterocyphelium leucampyx ( Arthoniales, Ascomycota): another orphaned mazaediate lichen finds its way home.

is a mazaediate genus containing a single species, . The species was originally described from Cuba within the genus ( , ) and later placed in various genera of the collective order s. lat. For the past three decades, was considered an orphaned genus ( ) within the Ascomycota, since morphology alone could not resolve its systematic position. In this study, we added molecular data with the aim of resolving this uncertainty. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of newly generated sequence data from the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA small subunit (mtSSU) and the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit gene ( 2) provide clear evidence that is nested within the order , in the family , sister to the genus . is a further example of parallel evolution of passive spore dispersal, prototunicate asci and the occurrence of a mazaedium in the Ascomycota, and another calicioid genus whose systematic placement could be eventually clarified by means of molecular data. is the fourth mazaediate genus in , in addition to , and .

Funder

Funder name	Awards
National Science Foundation, United States	TICOLICHEN (DEB 0206125) - Neotropical Epiphytic Microlichens – An Innovative Inventory of a Highly Diverse yet Little Known Group of Symbiotic Organisms (DEB 715660)
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica