Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen abietinus Ach., K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Nya Handl. 16: 139 (1795).

Description : Thallus thin, effuse, purplish grey to grey-white, corticolous. Apothecia 0.5–2 mm diam., rounded, sessile or ±appressed, disc plane to subconvex, brown-black, covered with thick, cream-grey pruina; proper exciple, black, persistent. Hymenium 65–100 μm tall, I+ blue. Hypothecium 25–50 μm thick. Paraphysoids branched, anastomosing, 1.5–2 m diam. Ascospores fusiform to acicular, 3(–4)-septate, (22–)25–40(–48) × (3.5–)4–5.5(–6) μm. Pycnidia 0.2–0.3 mm diam., numerous, scattered, cylindrical, knob-like, apices white-pruinose (C+ red). Conidia cylindrical – microconidia 9–13(–15) × 0.8–1.2 μm; macroconidia 11–17 × 2–3.5(–4) m.

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; pycnidia C+ red; containing lecanoric and schizopeltic acids.

N: Northland (Waipoua State Forest), Gisborne (Urewera National Park), Wellington (Ohakune). S: Nelson (Nelson Lakes National Park), Southland (Pourakino Valley). On dry, sheltered, rough bark of Nothofagus in forest, 150–925 m. Known also from Tasmania (Kantvilas & Minchin 1989; Jarman et al. 1991; Kantvilas & James 1991; Kantvilas 2004j) and Victoria in Australia (Kantvilas et al. 1994; McCarthy 2003c, 2006), Macaronesia, the W and E coasts of North America, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Scandinavia and Great Britain (Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Egea & Torrente 1994; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Aptroot 2002e; Coppins 2002b; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004). Recently it was reported from Papua New Guinea, the first record from tropical regions (Egea et al. 1996: 55).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Lettau (1937: tab. 1, fig. 1; tab 2, figs 18, 28; tab. 3, figs 38–41); Wirth (1987: 221; 1995a: 321, fig. 41); Dobson (1992: 161; 2000: 177, 178; 2005: 201); Egea & Torrente (1994: 67, pl. 2, figs A–F); Letrouit-Galinou et al. (1994: 406, fig. 5; 407, fig. 6; 414, fig. 13B); Brodo et al. (2001: 369, pl. 408); Kantvilas (2004j: 195, fig. 5A, B).

Lecanactis abietina is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the thickly cream-grey-pruinose apothecia; the 3-septate, fusiform ascospores, (22–)25–40(–48) × 3.5–5.5(–6) μm; and pycnidia C+ red (gyrophoric and lecanoric acids).