Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea hyalinescens Nyl., Acta Soc. linn. Bordeaux 21: 355 (1856).

=Gyalecta berggrenii Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 71 (1896).

Gyalecta berggrenii. Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Dunedin "På vulkanen lava", v.1874, S. Berggren – S [fide Galloway (1985a: 177)].

Description : Flora (1985: 177).

S: Nelson (Denniston Plateau), Otago (Quarry Hill, Mt Cargill, Dunedin). On volcanic rock near coast and also inland on damp somewhat shaded rock faces in damp Leptospermum heathland. A rather inconspicuous species, often growing among mosaics of species of Placopsis (P. argillacea, P. elixii etc.), Stereocaulon and Trentepohlia. Still very poorly known and collected in New Zealand. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, the Azores, Africa, North America, Central and South America Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and Australia (Vězda & Poelt 1991; James & Woods 1992b; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Aptroot & Lücking 2003; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 105 – as Gyalidea hyalescens [sic]); Aptroot & Lücking (2003: 58, fig. 1E; 59, fig. 2B; 64, fig. 6A).

Gyalidea hyalinescens is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the olive brownish, warty to leprose thallus (often ±lacking); the scattered, brownish pink apothecia (bright, red-brown and translucent when moist) with prominent pale or whitish margins (commonly warted–crenulate and distinctly raised, like a pie crust); the colourless to yellowish hymenium, 100–130 μm tall; oblong-fusiform, 3-septate ascospores, 12–19(–25) × 5–6.5 μm.