Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Toninia caeruleonigricans  auct. non (Lightf.) Th.Fr., Lich. Scand. 2: 336 (1874).

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 583 – as Toninia caeruleonigricans). See also Timdal (1991: 93–95).

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Sine loco. Collected by William Colenso 3037 (BM). From limestone (possibly near Napier) with Fulgensia fulgens. The most widespread and commonly collected species of the genus, known from all continents except Antarctica (Timdal 1991, 2002d).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Moberg & Homåsen (1982: 131); Wirth (1987: 469 – as Toninia caeruleonigricans; 1995b: 917); Timdal (1991: 94, fig. 68); Dobson (1992: 333 – as T. caeruleonigricans; 2000: 381; 2005: 429); Hansen (1995: 117); Eldridge & Tozer (1997: 34, fig. 4.11); Heibel et al. (1999: 250); St.Clair (1999: 193); Belnap et al. (2001a: 6, pl. 16); Brodo et al. (2001: 684, pl. 839); Sérusiaux et al. (2004: 164).

Toninia sedifolia is characterised by: the saxicolous (basicolous) habit; a squamulose thallus, the squamules convex, pale-brown, glaucous or bluish black, densely white-pruinose to blue-grey-pruinose; sessile, convex, black, marginate apothecia with a grey pruina; dark-brown to reddish brown hypothecium; and 1-septate, acicular to subfusiform ascospores, 11–30 × 2–4 μm.