Flora of New Zealand Series

Thallus corticolous, with numerous, small, crowded, sterile branches and occasional longer fertile branches occurring together. Branches irregularly flattened to subterete, erect, to 1.5 cm long and 1-2.2 mm wide. Upper surface smooth, brownish to greyish-brownish-yellow with parasitic algae often covering the region around apothecia, lower surface pale grey to white, upper cortex 80-120 µm thick, lower cortex 60-80 µm thick. Algal layer 20-30 µm thick, continuous between upper cortex and medulla, in subterete branches almost encircling central medulla. Apothecia common, subterminal, 1.5-4 mm diam., mazaedium subterminal to ventral, becoming exposed at an early stage of development by irregular rupture of surrounding receptacle, prominent, black, globose at maturity. Asci cylindrical 35-55 × 5-7 µm. Ascospores spherical, brownish-grey to brown, 6.5-9.5 µm diam., surrounded by black, carbonaceous material at maturity. Chemistry: K-, Pd+ red. Sphaerophorin and protocetraric acid.

A: Still rarely collected. Distinguished by the Pd+ red reaction (protocetraric acid) and the brownish spores.

Austral