Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Marlborough, 9.5 km NW of Kaikoura, Mt Fyffe State Forest, 4 km SW of summit of Mt Fyffe, along creek, 180–330 m, on trunk of Melicytus ramiflorus, 6.ii.1981, L. Tibell 10790 – UPS.

Description : Thallus white, ecorticate, endophloeodal. Perithecia semi-immersed, subglobose, 0.25–0.4 mm diam., wall pale below with dark, poorly developed clypeus. Asci cylindrical, 90 × 20 μm, 8-spored. Ascospores biseriate, fusiform, submuriform, 7 × 1-septate, 25–27 × 8–9 μm. Macroconidia 3-septate, 19 × 3 μm, fragmenting into 4 part-spores. Microconidia oblong to ovate, 3–4.5 × 1.5–2 μm.

S: Marlborough. Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

Strigula fracticonidia is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the macroconidia that break apart into 4 part-spores. Taxa with the ascospores fragmenting into part-spores are well-known in both foliicolous and corticolous taxa of Strigula, but S. fracticonidia appears to be the only species yet known with fragmenting macroconidia (Harris 1995: 156).