Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Biatora ceroplasta C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 300 (1855).

≡Lecidea ceroplasta (C.Bab.) Hook.f., Handb. N. Z. Fl. 2: 583 (1867).

≡Patellaria ceroplasta (C.Bab.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App.1: 68 (1894).

≡Bacidia ceroplasta (C.Bab.) Hellb., Bihang. K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 101 (1896).

=Lecidea rubricatula Stirt., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 14: 468 (1875).

≡Biatora rubricatula (Stirt.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 105 (1896).

=Lecidea cinnabaroides C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 15: 351 (1883)[non. L. cinnabarodes Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 80 (1888)].

=Miltidea subrutila Stirt., Trans. N. Z. Inst. 30: 385 (1898).

≡Lecidea subrutila (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (5): 834 (1925).

=Miltidea rutilescens Stirt., Trans. N. Z. Inst. 30: 385 (1898).

≡Lecidea rutilescens (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (5): 824 (1925).

=Miltidea venusta Stirt., Trans. N. Z. Inst. 30: 385 (1898).

≡Lecidea venusta (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (5): 851 (1925).

=Miltidea venustula Stirt., Trans. N. Z. Inst. 30: 385 (1898).

≡Lecidea venustula (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (5): 852 (1925).

Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco. Colenso, ex Herb. Hooker – BM.

Lecidea rubricatula. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, J. Buchanan 159 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 226)].

Lecidea cinnabaroides. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], 1883, Charles Knight – WELT [fide Galloway (1985a: 226)].

Miltidea subrutila. Holotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, rec'd ix.1876, J. Buchanan – GLAM.

Miltidea rutilescens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, rec'd viii.1876, J. Buchanan – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 226)].

Miltidea venusta. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, J. Buchanan – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 226)].

Miltidea venustula. Type: New Zealand. Near Wellington, J. Buchanan – not seen.

Description : Flora (1985: 226 – as Lecidea ceroplasta).

Chemistry : Four unidentified pigments (K+ purple) related to parietin (Coppins & James 1979b: 151).

N: Northland (Warawara State Forest, Waipoua Forest, Tutamoe, Little Barrier I., Great Barrier I.), South Auckland (Te Aroha, Kaimai Ra.), Wellington (Horopito, Limestone Plateau NW Ruahine Ra., Rimutaka Ra.), S: Nelson (Dun Mountain), Marlborough (Lookout Peak, Ship Cove, d'Urville I.), Canterbury (Broken River), St: (Noble I., Islet Cove Port Pegasus). Throughout, on bark of Agathis australis, Dacrydium cupressinum, Griselinia littoralis, Knightia excelsa, Kunzea ericoides, Leptospermum scoparium, Hoheria, Nothofagus menziesii, N. solandri var. cliffortioides, Weinmannia racemosa; lowland to subalpine. Known also in Tasmania (Jarman et al. 1991; Kantvilas & James 1991; Jarman & Kantvilas 1994; Filson 1996; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Kantvilas 2004b), and from Chile, Sri Lanka, and Argentina (Breuss & Brunnbauer 1997: 731; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Messuti & Ferraro 2002).

Palaeotropical

Illustrations : Knight (1883: pl. XXXVII, figs 21–22 – as Lecidea cinnabaroides); Hafellner (1984: 307, fig. 52); Lumbsch (1997b: 7, fig. 1E; 16, fig. 5B, F–H; 17, fig. 6A–C; 35, fig. 18A–F; 52, fig. 31C, D); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 80, 101, 187); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 129); Lumbsch et al. (2001: 21); Messuti & Ferraro (2002: 411, fig. 2).

Miltidea ceroplasta is characterised by: the corticolous habit; a pale greenish grey, glaucous-green to pale-greyish, continuous, areolate, matt or shining to somewhat minutely white-papillate, crustose thallus; scattered, orange-red to red-brown (K+ purple) apothecia; dense, granular, yellow-brown epithecium (K+ purple); a colourless hymenium 60–85 μm tall, conspicuously inspersed with oil droplets; cylindrical–clavate asci with apical structures, Miltidea -type (Hafellner 1984: 307; Malcolm & Galloway 1997: 187); and colourless, simple ellipsoidal, halonate, ascospores, 11–25 × 7–9 μm.