Lecidea psephota Tuck.
L. petrina Nyl., Lich. N.Z.: 107 (1888).
L. petrina. Type: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). C. Knight 1882, H-NYL 15248!
Thallus olive or mottled greyish-fawn, K+ yellow or red, of small, bullate squamules, scattered or ± contiguous, convex to flattened, minute. Apothecia plane or subconvex-undulate, densely carbonaceous-black, matt, wrinkled or minutely roughened, margins persistent, black, raised, entire to crenulate, 0.1-0.8 mm diam. Epithecium green-black (purple in K), 21-30 µm thick. Hymenium colourless 60-80 µm tall. Hypothecium brown-black. Ascospores oval ellipsoid, 12.5-18 × 6-8.5 µm.
N: Wellington.
Endemic
The type specimen associates on rock with L. fuscoatrula Nyl. This species is probably best placed in a genus of its own (Dr H. Hertel, pers. comm.).
