Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Lichenicolous, forming rounded patches on thallus of host, 1–1.5(–2) mm diam., discoloured and becoming whitish with a black margin usually c. 0.5 mm thick. Pycnidia immersed in medulla of host, solitary or occasionally aggregated, very pale brown, globose, unilocular, to 110 μm diam.; wall to 20 μm thick, comprising an outer layer of greenish brown, thick-walled, tangentially elongated cells, and an inner layer of hyaline, thick-walled, larger more isodiametric cells from which conidiophores arise. Ostiole absent, dehiscence of conidia occurring by disintegration of upper wall; conidial mass superficial, honey-yellow. Conidiophores arising from cells lining pycnidial cavity, hyaline, septate, thin-walled, sparingly branched at base, to frequently branched just below transverse septa to produce additional conidiogenous cells or conidia, to 30 μm long and 1.5–2 μm wide. Conidiogenous cells holoblastic, synchronous or sympodial, terminal, intercalary or lateral, hyaline, thin-walled, producing 1–3 conidia from minute loci, 3.5–6 μm long and 1.5–2 μm wide. Conidia 6–11.5 μm long (from truncate base to point at which appical appendages diverge) × 1.5–2 μm wide, thin-walled, aseptate, straight or slightly curved, the apex extended into two divergent, tapered, unbranched, cellular, cornute appendages, 2.5–6 μm long, the base truncate, with a tapered, unbranched cellular appendage 2.5–3 μm long which, although laterally inserted, is orientated with the longitudinal axis of the conidium.

S: Otago. Should be looked for more widely on Ramalina celastri. Known elsewhere from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Macaronesia, North America, Mauritius and Australia (Hawksworth 1976, 1981, 2003; Diederich 1986, 1989, 2003, 2004e; Gierl & Kalb 1993; Hafellner 1993c; Nag Raj 1993; Santesson 1993; Kalb et al. 1995; Scholz 2000; Cole & Hawksworth 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Triebel & Scholz 2001; Hafellner et al. 2002; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Host : In New Zealand parasitising unidentified fungus in apothecia of Ramalina celastri. Elsewhere known from the lichens Caloplaca aegatica, Cetraria sepincola, Flavoparmelia caperata, F. soredians, Haematomma africanum, H. collatum, H. persoonii, H. stevensiae, Hypocenomyce scalaris, Lecanora cadubriae, L. varia, Lobaria pulmonaria, Melanelia glabratula ssp. fuliginosa, M. olivacea, Ochrolechia tartarea, Parmelia sulcata, Parmotrema chinense, Pertusaria pertusa, Phlyctis agelaea, Platismatia glauca, Punctelia borreri and Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca (Hawksworth 1976, 1981; Diederich 1986; Hafellner 1995c; Kalb et al. 1995: 203–204; Santesson et al. 2004).

Illustrations : Hawksworth (1976: 51–53; 1981: 15, fig. 4), Sutton (1980: 90); Gierl & Kalb (1993: 633, fig. 27A); Nag Raj (1993: 237, fig. 32.1).

* Cornutispora lichenicola is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit (hyperparasitic on lichen thalli); conidia 1.5–2 μm wide; apical appendages 2.5–6.5 μm long; basal appendage 2.5–3 μm long.