Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Scolisciosporum bagliettoanum A.Massal. & De Not. in A. Massalongo, Mem. Lich.: 126 (1853).

Description : Thallus effuse, whitish to yellow-grey, areolate, smooth centrally, margins granular. Apothecia 0.1–0.3 mm diam., almost globular at first the disc concave and grey-pruinose, at maturity ±plane, pale-brown. Exciple massive of radiating strongly conglutinated, colourless thick-walled hyphae. Hymenium 30–50 μm tall, mostly hyaline, uppermost parts brownish. Hypothecium colourless. Paraphyses stout, simple or sparingly branched, end cells swollen. Ascospores acicular, 14–16-septate, 30–45 × 3– 4 μm.

S: Otago (Fairfax Spur, Dunstan Mts). On calciferous schist soils in fellfield, with Peltigera lepidophora and Psora decipiens. Widespread in Europe from the Boreal zone to the Mediterranean mountains (Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Martínez & Hafellner 1998; Scholz 2000; Hafellner & Türk 2001; Llop & Hladun 2002; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004) and in North America (Lumbsch 1991; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Ekman 1996a, 2004a), growing on bryophytes and plant detritus over calciferous substrata. In the Southern Hemisphere it is recorded from mosses on calcareous soil in the South Orkney Is (Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001).

Bipolar

Illustrations : Lumbsch (1991: 422, fig. 1A–F; 423, fig. 2A–E); Øvstedal & Lewis Smith (2001: 100, fig. 11A); Dobson (2005: 78).

Bacidia bagliettoana is characterised by: the terricolous (basicolous soils) habit; the whitish to yellow-grey, effuse thallus; pale-brown apothecia that are grey-pruinose; and acicular, 14–16-septate ascospores, 30–45 × 3–4 μm.