Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Staurothele clopima (Wahlenb.) Th.Fr. [=Verrucaria clopima Wahlenb. =Staurothele fuscocuprea (Nyl.) Zschacke]

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 538). See also McCarthy (2001g: 173).

Staurothele is a widespread genus of c. 60 species (Kirk et al. 2001), included in the family Verrucariaceae (McCarthy 2001g; Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005). The genus is characterised by a crustose thallus, hymenial algae, and muriform, colourless to brownish ascospores. Endocarpon (q.v.) has similar characters to Staurothele except for its squamulose to squamose thalli. North American species are discussed by Thomson (1991, 2002), Japanese species by Harada (1992a), and Australian taxa by McCarthy (2001g). One species is recorded from New Zealand. The taxon Staurothele humistrata Zahlbr. (Galloway 1985a: 539) is referred to Endocarpon pusillum (q.v.).