P. caesia P. duplex P. exsequens P. margaritella Puttea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi with uncertain familial placement in the order Lecanorales.

[1][2] Finnish lichenologists Soili Stenroos and Seppo Huhtinen established the genus Puttea in 2009 for the lichen species formerly known as Lecidea margaritella, which has undergone various reclassifications.

Molecular phylogenetics analyses have shown that Puttea margaritella does not align closely with genera like Fellhanera or Micarea, but its precise familial placement remains uncertain.

Its minute, round, whitish apothecia (fruiting bodies) lack a distinct margin, and the asci, or spore-producing cells, are thick-walled, club-shaped, and contain eight spores, showing specific reactions with iodine-based stains.

The Finnish lichenologists Soili Stenroos and Seppo Huhtinen erected the genus Puttea in 2009 to accommodate the lichen species formerly known as Lecidea margaritella.

[6] It was later reclassified as Fellhanera margaritella by Josef Hafellner in 2001[7] without comprehensive justification, leaving its systematic position ambiguous until the establishment of the new genus Puttea.

The program, launched by the Finnish Ministry of Environment, provided significant funding for taxonomic research in Finland, which facilitated the study and classification of this genus.

Pre-treatment with potassium hydroxide solution reveals a canal penetrating the tholus, which is surrounded by darker blue walls when stained with IKI.

[8] The type species, Puttea margaritella, typically inhabits boreal and oroboreal forests, particularly in moist niches that suit the habitat requirements of its liverwort host.