Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Thallus off-white to pale-grey, areolate, surface smooth and dull, without isidia or soredia. Apothecia disc-like, conspicuous, scattered, 0.5–1.5 mm diam., margins, thick, inrolled, discs white-pruinose. Ascospores 8 per ascus, uniseriate, ellipsoidal, smooth, 22–32 × 12–17 μm, wall single, 1 μm thick.

Chemistry : K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow; containing thamnolic acid.

N: Taranaki (Ngatoro Track S of New Plymouth). S: Canterbury (Nina Valley near Lewis Pass). On fallen branches. Also known from New South Wales in Australia (Archer & Elix 1994b; Archer 1997, 2004; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Archer (1992c: 15, fig. 4); Flora of Australia 56A (2004: 105, pl. 52).

Pertusaria thamnolica is characterised by: the corticolous habit; disc-like apothecia; 8-spored asci; and the presence of thamnolic acid. It is distinguished from P. truncata, which is morphologically similar, by the presence of thamnolic acid and the slightly larger ascospores.