Recognition of the Parmelia crozalsiana group as the genus Crespoa.

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.