Flora of New Zealand Series

Thallus endosubstratic. Photobiont: Trentepohlia. Apothecia 1.1-2.1 mm high, 24-47 times as high as width of stalk. Stalk 0.03-0.06 mm diam., epruinose, reddish-brown, of strictly periclinally arranged, yellowish-brown to pale hyphae. Capitulum obovoid, with porrectulate excipulum and with a distinctive, white, collar-like swelling at base. Other parts of capitulum reddish-brown. Capitulum 0.13-0.22 mm diam. Excipulum laterally c. 25-50 µm thick, densely interspersed with crystals except for hyaline innermost part; lateral parts of anticlinally arranged hyphae; basal part collar-like, surrounding uppermost part of stalk, obtriangular in outline, c. 30-50 µm wide and consisting of hyaline, reticulately branched, anticlinally arranged hyphae. Mazaedium not strongly protruding, pale pink to pale ochraceous, with coarse paraphyses c. 3 µm diam., covered by yellowish, granular crystals. Yellowish or red pigment of the excipulum and hyphae K+ dissolving, soon forming violet-red plate- or needle-like crystals. Hypothecium pale, with flat upper surface. Asci cylindrical, 21-24 × 2.8-3.4 µm, with a distinct stalk, spores uniseriate. Asci formed singly. Ascospores spherical, hyaline, smooth or with very minute warts visible in light microscope, 3.6-4.5 µm diam. Chemistry: Apothecia with? quinonoid pigment dissolving in K and precipitating violet-red crystals.

N: North Auckland, South Auckland, Gisborne, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Wellington. S: Marlborough. Rather common in the northern half of North I. On lignum of a wide variety of trees in rather dark and humid situations, s.l. to 930 m.

?Palaeotropical

C. sanguinea is so far also known from Costa Rica and Venezula.