Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., rock outcrops in tussock grassland (with Bulbinella) on north side of Perseverance Harbour at base of Mt Lyall, 22.xii.1969, R.C. Harris 4304 – MSC. Isotypes – BCRU, CHR, HO, M.

Description : Thallus areolate, irregularly spreading, 0.1 mm thick. Areolae scattered on a black prothallus, flat, pale yellow-green, 0.5–1.2 mm diam. divided into 5–6(–12) subareolae that are 0.1–0.4 mm diam. Medulla I+ violet. Apothecia abundant, immersed in thallus, plane to subconcave, round, 0.1–0.15 mm diam., pale-brown to red-brown, with a thin, pale thalline margin when young. Hymenium colourless, I+ blue, 100–120 μm tall. Paraphyses sparingly branched and anastomosing, slender, 1.5–2 μm wide, apices scarcely swollen or pigmented. Hypothecium colourless, thin, 30–35 μm thick. Asci cylindrical, 45–55 × 12–15 μm. Ascospores colourless, oblong to broadly ellipsoidal, apices rounded, (7.5–) 8.5–10(–11.5) × (4.0–)4.5–5.5 μm. Pycnidia immersed in areolae, 0.03–0.04 mm diam., pale-brown to red-brown. Conidia straight, (7–)8.5–10 × 0.5–0.8 μm.

Chemistry : K−, C− KC+ yellow, Pd−, UV−; containing usnic acid.

C: (Shoal Point. Mt Honey, Mt Dumas, Perseverance Harbour). On rock outcrops in subantarctic tussock grassland. Associating with Fuscidea asbolodes, F. subasbolodes, Ionaspis lacustris, Lecidea lygomma, Rimularia maculata and R. psephota (Fryday 2004).

Endemic

Lecanora physcielloides is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the pale yellow-green, areolate thallus; immersed apothecia with pale, brown to red-brown, epruinose apothecia; oblong to broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, 7.5–11.5 × 4.0–5.5 μm; and usnic acid.