Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. South I. NW Nelson, Turk's Cap Ra., on damp schistose soil, 1700 m, 41 º 33's 172 º 33'E, 1983, J.K. Bartlett 22693 – Herb. Henssen (MB). Isotype – AK.

Description : Thallus olivaceous, membranaceous, lobate with a few holes, attached to substratum by blue-green rhizoidal hyphae. Lobes anastomosing, ascending, flat or canaliculate, 0.8–2.5 mm wide with incised margins or with small cylindrical outgrowths. Thallus hyphae reticulately branched, 1.2–3.5 μm thick. Photobiont Nostoc, filaments 2.5–5.5 μm thick. Apothecia marginal or laminal, numerous, to 6 mm diam., commonly irregular in shape, multidivided or confluent; disc at first brown with a prominent proper margin and suburceolate, becoming blackish and ±plane at maturity. Proper exciple annular at first, becoming secondarily closed-cupular, 170–190 μm thick, strongly gelatinised, cell lumina reticulately connected and 1–2.5(–3.5) μm wide; margin of exciple dark-pigmented. Hymenium 140–170 μm tall, finally divided by sterile strands or proliferating. Epithecium 25–35 μm thick, at first violaceous-brown, becoming dark-green at maturity. Subhymenial layer 95–170 μm high or elongated into a stipe up to 260 μm tall. Asci 83–100 × 10–12 μm, walls I+ blue. Ascospores globose to subglobose, with cerebriform epispore, 10.5–14 × 10–12 μm. Pycnidia 120 μm diam., and 95 μm tall. Conidia 2.5–3.5 × 1 μm.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Gisborne (Kaweka Ra.). S: Nelson (Tasman Mts). On plant debris and mosses on schistose soil and greywacke rocks at high altitudes in exposed, humid habitats.

Endemic

Illustrations : Henssen (1999: 119, pl. IB; 121, pl. IIB; 125, pl. IVD; 126, pl. VC).

Ramalodium fecundissimum is a terricolous species and rather variable in habit. The lobes may be broad with veins and ridges, or narrow and canaliculate, incised at trhe margin or covered with small, cylindrical lobules. It is characterised by: the membranaceous, lobate thalli; and the abundantly produced, large, flat, blackish apothecia that are frequently irregular in shape.