Discopycnothyrium palmae gen. & sp. nov. (Asterinaceae)

A new genus and species, Discopycnothyrium palmae, is described from palms (Arecaceae) in Narathiwat Province, southern Thailand, and is known only from its asexual morph. The genus is characterized by circular pycnothyria with darkened cells around the central ostiole, variably long hyphae at the margin, and pycnothyriospores that are 1-septate with the septum between a larger brown upper cell and hyaline lower cell. LSU gene sequence analysis clustered D. palmae in the Asterinaceae clade and supported (59% ML and 0.88 PP support) the taxon as phylogenetically distinct from other Asterinaceae. Morphological and phylogenetic differences confirm the new genus, here introduced and illustrated.