Flora of New Zealand Series

P. knightiana Müll. Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 95 (1894).

Verrucaria olivaceofusca Knight, T.N.Z.I. 16: 406 (1884).

Pyrenula mamillana var. erubescens Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 255 (1941).

Lectotype: New Zealand, Sine loco (?Wellington). Charles Knight (received 11/83), BM!

P. mamillana var. erubescens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Green Island, in forest remnant on Suttonia australis. J.S. Thomson, (T432) A70, OTA 029094!

Thallus epiphloeodal, in irregular patches, 1-2(-5) cm diam., continuous or minutely and unevenly cracked, smooth to ± uneven, coriaceous, yellow-brown to dark olivaceous-brown, shining, with scattered, minute, white dots (×10 lens), delimited at margins by a narrow, wavy black line. Perithecia semi-emergent, scattered, discrete, minute, 0.05-0.1(-0.4) mm diam., black, shining, flattened to slightly raised. Ostiole apical, punctiform, minute, grey-white. Ascospores uniseriate, 4-locular, ovoid-oblong to lemon-shaped, central locules larger, often angular, 20.4-35.7 × 6.8-13.6 µm.

N: Wellington. S: Otago (Green Island).

Endemic

P. knightiana [P. olivaceofusca Müll. Arg., non Knight, is from Costa Rica, see Bull. Soc. r. Bot. Belg. 30: 95 (1891)] is similar to the Northern Hemisphere species P. nitidella. It differs from P. pseudonitidella in the more coriaceous, well-developed cortex and the larger spores.