Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Arthopyrenia xylogena Müll.Arg. [=Anisomeridium subnectendum (Nyl.) R.C.Harris]

Description : Flora (1985: 5–6). See also Aptroot (2002b: 99).

Anisomeridium is a crustose genus of c. 100 recorded taxa (Kirk et al. 2001) of mainly temperate lichens (Hawksworth & Sherwood 1981; Harris 1995; Aptroot 2002b) included in the family Monoblastiaceae (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005). Comparison between Anisomeridium and the related genera Arthopyrenia, Acrocordia, Strigula and Pyrenocollema is given in Coppins (1988: 306–307). Anisomeridium was proposed for conservation by Hawksworth & Sherwood (1981: 339–340) and later accepted by the International Committee (Korf 1988: 452). The genus Ditremis Clem. was later added to the list of names against which Anisomeridium is conserved (Hawksworth 1993). Several New Zealand taxa were described by Charles Knight in the 19th century (Knight 1876, 1883), but since that time the genus has not been studied or collected locally apart from a new, saxicolous species from southern New Zealand described by McCarthy (1993a) as Ditremis laevigata. A preliminary key to Anisomeridium (Harris 1995) records six species from New Zealand, but the genus is much in need of collection and study here. [Anisomeridium subprostans (Nyl.) R.C.Harris is also present in New Zealand (Bjorn Owe-Larsson, pers. comm.).]