Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Coniocybe amabilis Tibell, Publ. Herb. Univ. Uppsala 10: 6 (1982).

Holotype: New Zealand. Wellington, Tongariro National Park, 1981, L. Tibell 13605 – UPS. Isotypes in BC, BM, CANL, CHR, COLO, DUKE, H, HMAS, LD, LE, LWU, M, MEL, MICH, MIN, NICH, O, POZ, S, TNS, UPS, US, W, Herb. K. Kalb, Herb. A. Vězda.

Description : Flora (1985: 145 – as Coniocybe amabilis).

N: Northland (Herekino Gorge) to Wellington (Ohakune). S: Nelson (Pelorus Bridge), Otago (Chloris Pass NW of Owaka), Southland (Pourakino Valley). On lignum, rarely on bark in humid, shaded situations. It has been collected on lignum of Agathis australis, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides and Dacrydium cupressinum, and the bark of Nothofagus menziesii, 10–940 m. Formerly considered a New Zealand endemic (Tibell 1982), it is now known also from the far east of Russia, British Columbia, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, China, and Japan (Tibell 1993; Gustavsson 1995; Goward et al. 1996: 446; Holien 1998; Goward 1999; Thor & Arvidsson 1999: 472; Tibell 1999c; Titov 2000: 566; Tibell & Thor 2003: 248).

Bipolar

Exsiccati : Tibell (1982: No. 65 – as Coniocybe amabilis; 1986: No. 147).

Illustrations : Tibell (1984b: 631, fig. 16C, D; 1987: 212, fig. 161; 1999c: 90); Goward (1997: 16; 1999: 215, fig. 2A); Thor & Arvidsson (1999: 322)

Sclerophora amabilis is characterised by: the corticolous/lignicolous habit; the rather large apothecia; the yellow to brown stalks; and the conspicuous violet-red pruina of the young apothecia. S. sanguinea differs in having much more slender apothecia, reddish brown to brown stalks, small capitula, and a distinct white-pruinose collar at the base of the capitula.