Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria aurella Hoffm., Dtsch. Fl.: 197 (1796).

Description : Flora (1985: 73)

Chemistry : Thallus K−; containing calycin and pulvinic acid dilactone.

S: Otago (Kyeburn, Millers Flat, Flagstaff, Saddle Hill). On basic rocks and concrete, commonly forming almost pure swards on sloping concrete window ledges and concrete walls. Known also from Great Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, South Orkney Is and South Shetland Is (Hakulinen 1954; Thomson 1973; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Scholz 2000; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004; Søchting et al. 2004; Westberg 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Hakulinen (1954: 25, tab. I, fig. 4; tab. III, fig. 4); Jahns (1980: 203, fig. 465); Phillips (1987: 170); Dobson (1992: 89; 2000: 101; 2005: 111); Wirth (1995b: 215); Hansen (1995: 85); Brodo et al. (2001: 207, pl. 176).

Candelariella aurella is characterised by: the scanty to non-apparent thallus; abundant, bright-yellow, K− apothecia; and 8-spored asci. It is distinguished from C. vitellina by its dispersed apothecia that are never crowded, by the lack of a defined thallus, and by the size and number of the ascospores.