Lecanactis mecistospora (C.Knight) D.J.Galloway
Platygrapha mecistophora Knight, T.N.Z.I. 12: 377 (1880).
Lecidea pleistophragmoides Nyl., Lich. N.Z.: 102 (1888).
Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). Charles Knight. H-NYL 17018!
Lecidea pleistophragmoides Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). Charles Knight, H-NYL 17015!
Thallus pale greyish-white or olive-greyish, smooth, continuous or minutely areolate-cracked in parts, in bands or patches 2-5 cm diam., often delimited at margins by a thin, black, wavy prothallus, corticolous. Apothecia black, prominent, scattered or ± contiguous, solitary or 2-confluent, 0.1-0.8 mm diam., concave to plane, disc epruinose, margins concolorous with disc, relatively thick and prominent. Epithecium granular, brownish, 21 µm thick. Hymenium pale yellowish-brown, 120-160 µm tall. Hypothecium brownish or reddish-black, to 150 µm thick. Asci clavate, rather narrow, 160 × 20-25 µm. Ascospores 20-35-septate, straight, with pointed ends, 110-140 × 4-5.1 µm. Chemistry: Nil.
N: Known only from the type collection, though probably more widely distributed.
?Endemic
A characteristic species forming irregular, pale-coloured bands or patches on smooth-barked shrubs and trees. Knight (loc. cit., pl. 13, fig. 45) gives a good drawing of asci and spores.
