Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria rufula Kremp., Lich. Foliicol.: 20 (1874).

≡Phylloporina rufula (Kremp.) Müll.Arg., Lich. Epiphylli Novi: 21 (1890).

Description : Thallus foliicolous, small and scattered, to confluent and forming moderately large colonies on the surface of leaves, continuous, greyish green, smooth, matt to slightly glossy, without a prothallus. Perithecia superficial, convex to subhemispherical, 0.15–0.26(–0.3) mm diam., yellow-orange or pale to medium orange-brown, smooth, matt to glossy, translucent when moist (especially around ostiole), base spreading, apex rounded to subconical, ostiole inconspicuous. Involucrellum spreading, 15–30 μm thick, medium orange-brown, with a thin thalline covering near base. Exciple pale yellow-brown, 10 μm thick. Asci narrowly obclavate, 50–65 × 8– 11 μm. Ascospores oblong to narrowly fusiform or bacillar, 3-septate, 17–26 × 2.5–4.5 μm, not halonate.

N: Wellington (Kitchener Park Feilding). On leaves of Lophomyrtus bullata (Zahlbruckner et al. 1928: 310; Zahlbruckner 1941: 257). Widely distributed in the tropics (Santesson 1952; Herrera-Campos et al. 2004). A detailed geographical distribution of the species is given in McCarthy (2003d: 86–88).

Pantropical

Illustrations : Aptroot & Sipman (1993: 36, fig. 14); Lücking (1996b: 254, fig. 7D; 258, fig. 9A).

Porina rufula is characterised by: the foliicolous habit; the mainly convex, orange, translucent perithecia; and small, 3-septate ascospores, 17–26 × 2.5–4.5 μm.