Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea aleuroides Stirt., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 14: 469 (1875)

≡Phyllopsora aleuroides (Stirt.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 45 (1894).

=Psoromidium wellingtonii Stirt., Proc. phil. Soc. Glasgow10: 304 (1877).

≡Phyllopsora wellingtonii (Stirt.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 45 (1894).

=Psoroma descendens Nyl., Lich,. Nov. Zel.: 54 (1888).

≡Psoromaria descendens (Nyl.) Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 55 (1888) nom. nud.

≡Psoromaria descendens (Nyl.) Nyl. in A.M. Hue, Nouv. Archs Mus. nat. Hist. Paris, sér. 3, 3: 45 (1891).

≡Pannaria descendens (Nyl.) Hue, Mém. Soc. Sci. nat. Math. Cherbourg 38: 58 (1911).

=Coccocarpia fineranii C.W.Dodge, Nova Hedwigia19: 465 (1971) ["1970"].

Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, J. Buchanan 141 – GLAM [fide Galloway (1983: 196)]. Isolectotypes – BM, WELT.

Psoromidium wellingtonii. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, J. Buchanan – BM [fide Galloway (1983: 196)].

Psoroma descendens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight – H-NYL 30799 [fide Galloway (1983: 196)].

Coccocarpia fineranii. Holotype: New Zealand. Auckland Is, Laurie Harbour, on rata trunk, 27.i.1966, B.A. Fineran 1752 – FH. Isotype – CANU.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 483). See also Galloway & James (1985: 176–179).

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Little Barrier I.), Auckland (Waitakere Ra., Rangitoto I.), South Auckland (Mt Moehau, Coromandel Peninsula, Tihoi near Lake Taupo, Takaanu), Wellington (Lake Rotoaira, Ruahine Ra.). S: Canterbury (Mt Peel), Otago (Boyds Bush near Dunedin), Southland (Lake Hankinson, Fiordland, Secretary I. Doubtful Sound). St: (Glory Cove, Noble I. Port Pegasus). A: (Hanfield Inlet, Laurie Harbour). C: (Moubray Hill, S slopes of Mt Honey). On bark of trees and shrubs in forest, also on lignum and rarely on rocks in humid, forest habitats. Known also from Victoria and Tasmania (Galloway & James 1985: 180).

Australasian

Illustrations : Galloway & James (1985: 177, fig. 1; 178, fig. 2); Jørgensen & Galloway (1992b: 292, fig. 99A); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 136).

Psoromidium aleuroides is characterised by: the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; a thallus that is often areolate-diffract centrally, the squamules convex-imbricate; a thick, byssoid prothallus; confluent-conglomerate apothecia with margins often excluded at maturity; hymenium I+ deep-blue; an apical ring structure present in the ascus apex; and ellipsoidal to broadly fusiform ascospores, with rounded or bluntly apiculate apices, 10–13.5(–15) × 4–6 μm.