Flora of New Zealand Series

=Pertusaria amaurospora Hellb., Bihang. K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21(3/13): 73 (1896).

=Pertusaria limescens Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 333 (1941).

Pertusaria amaurospora. Lectotype: New Zealand. South Auckland, Maunganui near Tauranga, xii.1874, S. Berggren – S [fide Galloway (1985a: 372)].

Pertusaria limescens. Type: New Zealand. Otago, Black Head near Dunedin, on coastal rock, J.S. Thomson ZA 63 – W – not seen.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 372 – as Pertusaria amaurospora). See also Archer & Elix (1993b: 112) and Archer (1997: 105).

Chemistry : K−, KC+ yellow-orange, C+ orange, Pd−; containing arthothelin (major) and 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone (minor) (Archer & Elix 1993b: 112; Archer 1997: 105).

N: Northland to Wellington: S: Nelson to Southland. Widely distributed on coastal rocks, rarely inland to 1050 m. Known also fron Peru, Chile (it is common on Juan Fernandez), South Africa, and New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in Australia (Archer 1997: 107; 2004a: 146–147; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Messuti & Archer 2003; Messuti 2005).

Austral

Illustrations : Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 103, 122, 179); Archer (1997: 106, fig. 33); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 27); Flora of Australia56A (2004: 104, pl. 48); Messuti (2005: 113, fig. 1E).

Pertusaria melanospora is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the pale-yellow to yellow-brown thallus; apothecia with conspicuous black ostioles becoming pseudolecanorine; 8-spored asci; the presence of arthothelin (2,4,5-trichlorolichexanthone, C+ orange); and coloured ascospores (pale blue-grey or brown, rarely colourless).