Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand, South I., Canterbury, Marble Point, 15 km S of Hanmer Springs, on W exposed faces of marble, 1985, A. Henssen 30514 & H.T. Lumbsch – Herb. Henssen.

Description : Thallus minutely filamentous to subcrustose, blackish, 1–3.5 mm diam. Filaments reduced, dull, 0.2–0.7 mm long and 65–130 μm wide. Hyphae reticulately branched with somewhat angular cells. Basal strand well-developed, strongly gelatinised, 20–35 μm diam., composed of up to 5 rows of cells. Cyanobiont, Scytonema. Apothecia crowded, laterally inserted, 0.3–0.35 mm diam., with a thick, thalline margin. Hymenium 140–145 μm tall, I−. Hypothecium 60–70 μm thick. Asci cylindrical to clavate, 60–100 × 10–15 μm, (16–)24(–28)-spored. Ascospores simple, colourless, globose to ellipsoidal, 8.5–11 × 5.5–7.5 μm. Pycnidia 70–95 μm diam, ostiole brown. Conidia bacillar, 3–4 × 1 μm, produced terminally from long-celled conidiophores.

S: Canterbury. Known only from the type locality.

Endemic

Illustrations : Henssen (2004: 199, fig. 2A, D, F).

Zahlbruknerella compacta is characterised by: the saxicolous (basicolous rocks) habit; the strongly reduced, subcrustose lobes (not filamentous as in Z. calcarea); the thick basal, strongly gelatinised hyphal strand with partly angular cells; the broad thalline margin of the apothecia; cylindrical to clavate, 60–100 × 10–15 μm, (16–) 24(–28)-spored asci; simple, colourless, globose to ellipsoidal ascospores, 8.5–11 × 5.5–7.5 μm; and bacillar conidia, 3–4 × 1 μm.