Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria olivaceofusca C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 16: 406 (1884) non Müll.Arg. [Pyrenula olivaceofusca Müll.Arg., Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belg. 30 (2): 95 (1891)].

=Pyrenula mamillana var. erubescens Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 255 (1941).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight (received xi.1883 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 492)].

Pyrenula mamillana var. erubescens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Green Island, in forest remnant on [Suttonia] Myrsine australis, J.S. Thomson T432 [A 70] – OTA 029094 [fide Galloway (1985a: 492)].

Description : Flora (1985: 492).

N: Wellington. S: Otago (Green Island). On bark of shrubs in forest or forest remnants.

Endemic

Illustration : Knight (1884: pl. XLI, fig. 23 – as Verrucaria olivaceofusca).

Pyrenula knightiana is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the yellow-brown to dark olivaceous-brown thallus with minute, scattered white spots (×10 lens), delimited by a narrow, wavy black, prothalline line; minute, scattered, black, semi-emergent perithecia; and ovoid-oblong to citriform, 3-septate ascospores, 20–26 × 6.5–13.5 μm.