Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Limboria euganea A.Massal., Ric. Lich crost.: 155 (1852).

=Urceolaria novae-zelandiae C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 8: 313 (1876); Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. ser. 2, Bot. 1: 275 (1877).

Urecolaria novae-zelandiae. Lectotype: New Zealand, sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight, – BM [fide Lumbsch (1989: 170)]; – isolectotypes BM, LD, WELT (L6275).

Description : Thallus thin, areolate, areolae 0.3–1.5 mm diam., plane. Upper surface whitish grey to grey-brown, smooth, glossy or matt, epruinose. Apothecia perithecioid, immersed to semi-immersed, to 1.8 mm diam.; disc blackish, plane. Proper exciple to 90 μm thick. Hymenium 100–140 μm tall. Asci subclavate, (6–)8-spored. Ascospores brown, muriform, broadly ellipsoidal, 16–32 × 10–20 μm, 3–6 transverse septa, 1–4 longitudinal septa per transverse segment. Pycnidia not seen.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Unuwhao Pinnacles), Auckland (Whatipu, Waitakere coast), Wellington. On siliceous rocks. Known also from Europe, Cape Verde Is, Algeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Brazil and Australia (Lumbsch 1989, 2002; Pant & Upreti 1993; Guderley & Lumbsch 1996; Becker 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Lumbsch & Elix 2003; Nimis & Martellos 2003).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Knight (1876: pl. XI, fig. 1A–B; 1877: pl. XXVII, fig.1 – as Urceolaria novae-zelandiae); Lumbsch (1989: 170, fig. 22 A); Mies & Lumbsch (1990: 487, fig. 2); Pant & Upreti (1993: 40, fig. 4C); Guderley & Lumbsch (1996: 277, fig. 4D).

Diploschistes euganeus is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the thin thallus, broadly ellipsoidal to nearly globose ascospores, 16–32 × 10–20 μm; and an absence of secondary chemistry.