Plectocarpon nitida
Holotype: New Zealand. North I., Wellington, Tongariro National Park, vicinity of Whakapapa Village, along Whakapapanui Stream, 39º11's, 175º32'E, 1050 m, Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides dominated forest, on trunk of Nothofagus, on Pseudocyphellaria glabra, 1990, M. Wedin 2299 – UPS.
Description : Lichenicolous, on upper surface of host thallus, and not visibly damaging host. Ascomata single, sometimes confluent and covering extensive areas of host thallus, black, rounded, flattened, with a regular margin, 0.1–0.25 mm diam., surface glossy, flat, densely sprinkled with numerous small depressions (0.02–0.06 mm) that are the "ostioles" of fertile locules. Stroma multilocular, 0.2–0.3 mm thick; sterile stromatic tissue blackish, K+ deep greyish to bluish green, N+ greyish red, 30–150 μm thick, Hymenium colourless to pale-brown, I+ red, 75–90 μm tall; locules generally 50–120 μm wide; epihecium colourless to pale-brown, K−. Paraphyses branched, anastomosing, 1–2.5 μm thick, slightly expanded apically. Asci clavate, 4-spored, 50–75 × 9.5–12 μm, with a K/I+ blue apical ring. Ascospores colourless, 3-septate, not constricted at septa, (15.5–)18–24.5 × 3.5–6 μm; perispore distinct, colourless, 1–1.5 μm thick, with an apical appendage. Pycnidia not seen.
N: Wellington (Tongariro National Park, Tararua Ra., Mt Holdsworth). S: Southland (Oblong Hill, Lake Hauroko). Known also from Tasmania (Ertz et al. 2005: 136–137).
Australasian
Host : Pseudocyphellaria glabra.
Illustrations : Ertz et al. (2005: 137, figs 114, 115; 138, fig. 116).
* Perigrapha nitida is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit (Pseudocyphellaria glabra); the distinctive, flat, glossy black ascomata, sprinkled with numerous small depressions corresponding to the "ostioles" of perithecioid fertile locules; 4-spored asci; and colourless, 3-septate ascospores, (15.5–)18–24.5 × 3.5–6 μm; with a distinct, hyaline perispore, 1–1.5 μm thick, and without an apical appendage.
