Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Buellia luridata Körb., Parerga Lich.: 188 (1860).

Description : Thallus epilithic, rarely endolithic, thin, small, determinate, without a perceptible prothallus; ochraceous and somewhat areolate, areolae contiguous, to 0.5–0.8 mm diam., plane to slightly wrinkled, margins sometimes raised, matt or shining. Apothecia erumpent becoming sessile but remaining broadly attached, usually one per areolae, frequent, 0.3–0.6 mm diam., margins concolorous with thallus, 0.05–0.1 mm thick, entire, persistent, sometimes partly excluded; disc concave to plane, dark-brown to black, often pruinose. Epithecium red-brown. Hymenium 110–150 μm tall. Hypothecium pale yellow-brown, (30–)70–90 μm thick, extending into a lightly pigmented stipe below. Paraphyses 2–3 μm diam., apices expanded to 5–7 μm, brown-pigmented. Asci Lecanora -type. Ascospores Bicincta -type (internal wall thickenings of Physcia -type grading into Milvina -type), 11–15 × 6.5–10.5 μm, lumina quickly becoming rounded, outer wall thickened at septum and apices when young, pigmented band around each cell, over-mature ascospores becoming distinctly waisted.

Chemistry : K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing zeorin.

N: Wellington (Worser Bay). S: Nelson (Kaihoka Point, Puponga), Canterbury (Castle Hill, Monserrat limestone outcrops, Coal Creek, Rangitata Valley), Southland (Clifden). On limestone often with species of Caloplaca, Candelariella vitellina, Lecanora dispersa, Physcia adscendens, Rinodina bischoffii, R. nigricans and R. reagens. Known also from Europe, North Africa, western North America and Australia (Mayrhofer et al. 1990; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Sheard 2004; Kaschik 2006).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Mayrhofer et al. (1990: 347, figs 7–11); Nordic Lichen Flora Vol. 2 (2002: 105); Kaschik (2006: 65, fig. 32).

New Zealand specimens of Rinodina lecanorina (A.Massal.) A.Massal. (Mayrhofer 1985: 512–513) are referable to R. luridata.

Rinodina luridata is characterised by: the saxicolous (basicolous) habit; the pruinose apothecia; and Bicincta -type ascospores. It is discussed in Mayrhofer et al. (1990: 348–349) who give a table listing comparisons between R. luridata and R. lecanorina.