Flora of New Zealand Series

P. vallicola Elix & Malcolm, in J.A. Elix, W.M. Malcolm & A.W. Archer, Mycotaxon 53: 279 (1995).

Holotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Lewis Pass, Nina Valley Terrace, 700 m, on fallen Nothofagus branch, 2.ii.1993, W.M. Malcolm 368, CHR 470259.

Description : Thallus dirty whitish, thin, cracked; surface smooth and dull, without isidia or soredia. Apothecia verruciform, flattened-hemispherical, often confluent, concolorous with thallus, 0.6–1 mm diam; ostioles conspicuous, pale-grey, translucent, slightly sunken, 1 per verruca, 0.2–0.3 mm diam. Ascospores 2 per ascus, ellipsoidal, rough, 125–137 × 50–62 μm.

Chemistry : K−, KC−, C−, Pd−; containing hypoprotocetraric acid (major), virensic acid (tr.) and convirensic acid (tr.) (Elix et al. 1995b: 279).

S: Canterbury (Nina Valley). On bark of mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides). Still very poorly collected in New Zealand.

Endemic

Illustrations : Elix et al. (1995b: 277, fig. 7); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 104).

Pertusaria vallicola is characterised by: the corticolous habit; flattened verrucae; two rough ascospores per ascus; and the presence of hypoprotocetraric acid, a compound not previously recorded in Pertusaria.