Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Southland, Waiau River Valley, Clifden N of Tuatapere, 167º42'E, 46º02's, on limestone, 22.ix.1982, H. Mayrhofer 2186 – GZU. Isotypes – CHR 485947, M.

Description : Thallus epilithic, to 1.3 mm thick, smooth, but sometimes covered in part by a ?lichenised cyanobacterium (Gloeocapsa cf. magma) resulting in a coarsely warty appearance, crustose to subsquamulose, areolate, continuous or of discrete areolae, brown to ochraceous, occasionally associated with other, more filiform, cyanobacteria (Scytonema). Apothecia cryptolecanorine to lecanorine, adnate, to 1.7 mm diam.; disc reddish brown, dark-brown to black, often with a narrow, pale reddish brown border between disc and thalline margin. Thalline margin persistent, entire to subcrenate, concolorous with thallus. Parathecium laterally hyaline, above broadened and brown. Epithecium brown or yellowish brown, K− or K+ yellowish to orange. Hymenium 100–150 μm tall. Paraphyses 1–4 μm thick, apices to 6 μm diam., with brownish pigment in walls. Hypothecium to 180 μm thick, colourless to partly or entirely yellow-green, K+ yellowish to orange. Asci Lecanora -type with 8 or fewer ascospores. Ascospores Teichophila -type, spore ontogeny type A, torus absent, 22–31 × 10–19 μm, wall finely scabrid and swelling around septum in K. Pycnidia immersed. Conidia bacillar, (3.5–)4–4.5(–5.5) × 1.5–2 μm.

Chemistry : TLC –, all reactions negative.

S: Canterbury (Weka Pass), Otago (Fortification Road S of Oamaru), Southland (Clifden). On limestone. Known also from Australia and southern Africa (Matzer & Mayrhofer 1994: 117; Kaschik 2006).

Southern xeric

Illustrations : Matzer & Mayrhofer (1994: 111, fig. 1; 112, fig. 3; 114, figs 10–11); Kaschik (2006: 109, fig. 67).

[New Zealand specimens formerly named R. teichophila (Nyl.) Arnold (Mayhofer 1983, 1985: 515; Mayrhofer et al. 1990) are referable to R. reagens.]

Rinodina reagens is characterised by: the saxicolous (basicolous) habit; the presence of a green-yellow pigment in the hypothecium, epithecium and in the conidia, K+ yellowish to orange (this pigment is not known from any other species of Rinodina); large, Teichophila -type ascospores occasionally grading into Pachysporaria -type; torus absent, and a finely scabrid spore wall, swelling around septum in K, 22–31 × 10–19 μm. An interesting discovery is the occurrence of a ?lichenised cyanobacterium (Gloeocapsa cf. magma) in parts of some specimens, growing between and on areolae and giving them a warty appearance.