Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecanora subpyracea Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 59 (1888).

≡Pyrenodesmia subpyracea (Nyl.) C.W.Dodge, B. A. N. Z. A. R. E. Repts, Ser. B, 7: 231 (1948).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington), 1867, Charles Knight – H-NYL 29847 [fide Galloway (1985a: 67)]. Syntype: New Zealand. Greymouth, 1886, [Richard] Helms 254 – H-NYL 29846.

Description : Thallus thin, white, whitish green to pale greyish or bluish, somewhat glossy to matt, continuous to abraded in parts or minutely cracked (×10 lens), spreading irregularly in patches or bands, 0.5–2(–3) cm diam., K−, when growing in mosaics of other crustose lichens delimited by a thin, wavy, black marginal prothalline line. Apothecia prominent, scattered to crowded, immersed at first, erupting from thallus and becoming sessile, rounded to contorted through mutual pressure, (0.05–)0.1–0.8(–1.0) mm diam., disc concave at first to plane or subconvex, orange to mustard-yellow, distinctly roughened-granular (×10 lens); thalline margin not apparent or visible as a thin covering at margins and below disc, concolorous with thallus; proper margin thin to thick, entire, grey-black to black, matt or glossy, distinctly raised above disc. Epithecium densely granular, yellow-brown, 5–10 μm thick. Hymenium colourless, without oil droplets, 55–65 μm tall. Paraphyses slender, simple, 1.5–2 μm thick, apices not noticeably swollen or submoniliform. Asci cylindrical, 8-spored, 40–50 × 10–13.5 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal to broadly ellipsoidal, apices rounded or slightly pointed, (11.5–)13–15(–17) × 6.5–8.2 μm; septum 5–7 μm thick, ⅓ to ½ length of spore.

Chemistry : Thallus K−; apothecia K+ purple, containing parietin.

N: Wellington S: Nelson (Kaituna Gorge), Canterbury (Hanmer, Arundel), Otago (Trotter's Gorge, Matanaka, Merton, Flagstaff, Woodhaugh Gardens Dunedin, Taieri Mouth, E branch Tokomairiri River), Southland (Springhills, Awarua Bog). St: Ch: M: (Dodge 1948: 231–232). On bark and especially young twigs of both native and introduced vegetation including: Carpodetus serratus, Coprosma crassifolia, Cytisus scoparius, Griselinia littoralis, Hebe salicifolia, Freycinetia banksii, Hoheria, Kunzea ericoides, Malus sylvestris. Associating with the lichens: Chrysothrix candelaris, Collema, Graphnia subvelata, Lecanora carpinea, L. flavopallida, Lecidella elaeochroma, Megalaria grossa, Ramalina celastri, R. glaucescens, R. inflexav, Usnea. It also occurs much less commonly on old painted concrete surfaces such as retaining walls, in gardens in a xanthorion community comprising Lecanora albescens, L. dispersa, Physcia adscendens and Xanthoria parietina.

Endemic

Caloplaca subpyracea is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the thin, whitish, continuous thallus; the characteristic, erumpent to sessile apothecia with a granular-roughened orange to mustard-yellow disc and a prominent black or grey-black proper margin; ellipsoidal to broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, (11.5–)13–15(–17) × 6.5–8.2 μm; septum 5–7 μm thick, ⅓ to ½ length of spore.