Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria nitida var. pseudonitidella C.Knight, Trans. Linn. Soc. 23: 99 (1860).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Auckland], Charles Knight 316 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 493)].

Description : Flora (1985: 493).

N: Auckland to Wellington. On bark of trees and shrubs in forest or forest remnants.

Endemic

Illustration : Knight (1860: pl. XI, fig. 6).

Pyrenula pseudonitidella is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the olivaceous thallus, often eroded and appearing whitish or greyish, developing in scattered, irregular patches or bands, 0.5–2.5 cm diam.; hemispherical to flattened, discrete to 2–3-confluent perithecia, with central gaping ostioles; and 3-septate, ovoid to broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, 15–17 × (6.5–)8–10 μm.