Savoronala, a new genus of Malmideaceae (Lecanorales) from Madagascar with stipes producing sporodochia

The new genus and species Savoronala madagascariensis is a lichenized hyphomycete characterized by its pale glaucous placodioid thallus with erect, short but robust stipes apically producing sporodochia with brown, subspherical conidia, whose cells are wrapped around a single chlorococcoid algal cell. Phylogenetic analyses using nuLSU and mtSSU sequences place Savoronala in the Malmideaceae (Lecanorales). The new species was collected on Erica stems and inhabits coastal dunes near Taolanaro (southeast Madagascar). Lecidea floridensis is shown to belong to Malmidea whereas Lecidea cyrtidia and L. plebeja are also resolved in the Malmideaceae. The genus Sporodochiolichen Aptroot & Sipman is reduced into synonymy with Tylophoron.