Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea spuria Schaer., Lich. helv. spic. sect. 3: 127 (1828)

Description : Flora (1985: 52). See also Scheidegger (1993: 356).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ dark-yellow to orange, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow-orange; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, norstictic, connorstictic, stictic, cryptostictic, constictic and menegazziaic acids (Scheidegger 1993).

N: South Auckland (Port Jackson, Coromandel Peninsula SE of Whitianga), Wellington. S: Canterbury (Benmore Dam, Black Forest Road). On sunny, coastal and upland rocks, associating with Acarospora, Caloplaca spp., Candelariella vitellina, Lecanora, Physcia adscendens, P. caesia. Probably more widely distributed. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, North America, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia (Scheidegger 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Scholz 2000; Brodo et al. 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Becker 2002; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004; Bungartz & Nash 2004b).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Galløe (1932: 23, pl. 25); Brodo et al. (2001: 188, pl. 148); Bungartz & Nash (2004b: 450, fig. 4).

Buellia spuria is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the white or grey-white, rather thick, tartareous thallus; the I+ violet-blue medulla; scattered, black apothecia, immersed at first, becoming flush with thallus surface; irregularly white-pruinose apothecial discs; a green to olive epithecium; a dark-brown hypothecium; oblong Buellia -type ascospores, (10–)12–16.5 × 4.5–6 μm; bacillar conidia; and a distinctive chemistry (see above).