Spilonemella, a new genus of cyanophilic lichens with species from North America and Japan (Coccocarpiaceae)

Spilonemella Henssen ce Tonsberg is described as a new genus and placed in the Coccocarpiaceae. The new taxa, S. americana Henssen & Tonsberg and S. j aponica Henssen, are described The species of Spilonemella have a minutely fruticose thallus is composed of ascending to erect branched lobes with opu ntioid budding. blue-green prothallus. The photobionts are scytonemoid. The thallus is composed of ascending to erect branched lobes with opuntioid bu dding. The birds easily break off and function as diaspores. Lobes develop either from diaspores or by lichenization of filaments of the cyanobionts o n the prothallus. In apothecial development and structure, the new genus co rresponds to those of the related Spilonema, but differs by the presence of a cupular exciple.