Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Bilimbia nitschkeana Lahm ex Rabenh., Lich. Eur. Exs.: 583 (1861).

=Lecidea amaura Stirt., Ann. Rept Trans. Glasgow Soc. Field Nat. 1: 22 (1873).

Lecidea amaura. Holotype: New Zealand. Wellington, on palings, J. Buchanan 79 – BM. Isotype – WELT [the specimen labelled by Buchanan "Lecidea amaura sp. nov: Tinakora [sic] Hill Wellington. On the same bark with Lecanora varia var. symmicta. March/73". This specimen is in an envelope labelled by Buchanan "Black apothecia. Lecidea amaura sp. nov. Tinakori Range. Wellington. Feby/73"].

Description : Thallus effuse, forming small patches, partly endoxylic, but usually developed on surface of substratum as crowded, often contiguous, convex to globose aroleae, 0.4–2 mm diam., dull greenish white to green-grey. Photobiont micareoid, cells 4–7 μm. Apothecia scattered to crowded, contiguous to confluent, plane to convex–hemispherical or tuberculate, immarginate, grey-black to black, epruinose. Epithecium olivaceous (K+ violet, HNO3+ red, C+ violet). Hymenium 30–40 μm tall. Hypothecium hyaline, Exciple of radiating, branched and anastomosing hyphae. Asci clavate, 25–40 × 9.5–11 μm. Ascospores fusiform, curved, (1–)3(–4)-septate, 10–17(–19) × 2.5–3.5 μm. Pycnidia indistinct, immersed, of three types, producing macroconidia (curved or hooked, 1–3-septate, 12–26 × 1 μm), mesoconidia (short-cylindrical or obovate–oblong, 3–5.5 × 1–1.5 μm) or microconidia (narrowly fusiform to bacillar (4.5–)5–7.5 × 0.7–0.8 μm).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C+ red; containing gyrophoric acid.

N: Wellington. On weathered lignum of old fenceposts, gates and palings, still very poorly known and collected here. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia and North America (Coppins 1983; Nimis 1993, Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Scholz 2000; Coppins 2002b; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

?Bipolar

Illustration : Coppins (1983: 50, fig. 24B).

Micarea nitschkeana is characterised by: the lignicolous habit; the pale, greensih white to green-grey, areolate thallus (most obvious around apothecia; crowded, convex–hemispherical to tuberculate, black apothecia; 3-septate ascospores, 10–19 × 2.5–3.5 μm; and pycnidia producing three different kinds of conidia (see above).