Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea melanotropa Nyl., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 9: 255 (1866).

≡Patellaria melanotropa (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 63 (1894).

≡Biatorina melanotropa (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21(3/13): 107 (1896).

≡Catillaria melanotropa (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 57 (1926).

=Lecidea leucoplacoides Kremp., Verhandl. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien26: 454 (1876).

≡Patellaria leucoplacoides (Kremp.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 63 (1894).

≡Biatorina leucoplacoides (Kremp.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 108 (1896).

≡Catillaria leucoplacoides (Kremp.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 19 (1926).

=Lecidea caesiopallens Nyl., Compt Rend. Hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris, sér. D, 83: 90 (1876).

≡Patellaria caesiopallens (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 63 (1894).

≡Biatorina caesiopallens (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 106 (1896).

≡Catillaria caesiopallens (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 33 (1926).

=Lecidea hemitropa Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 86 (1888).

≡Patellaria hemitropa (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 63 (1894).

≡Biatorina hemitropa (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Alkad. Handl., 21 (3/13): 108 (1896).

≡Catillaria hemitropa (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 46 (1926).

=Lecidea caesiopallens var. amoenior Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 86 (1888).

≡Patellaria caesiopallens f. amoenior (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 63 (1894).

≡Biatorina caesiopallens var. amoenior (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 107 (1896).

≡Catillaria caesiopallens var. amoenior (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 33 (1926).

=Catillaria caesiopallens var. tristior Zahlbr., Denkshr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss Kl. 104: 314 (1941).

=Catillaria caesiopallens var. tristior f. nigrita Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 314 (1941).

=Catillaria caesia Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 314 (1941).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Dunedin, x.1861, W.L.Lindsay – H-NYL 18133 [fide Galloway (1985a: 78)]. Isolectotypes ?BM, ?E].

Lecidea leucoplacoides. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington), Charles Knight – M 122–80/13 [fide Galloway (1985a: 78)]. Isolectotype – WELT.

Lecidea caesiopallens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., 1874, M. Filhol – H-NYL 18279a [fide Galloway (1985a: 78)].

Lecidea hemitropa. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington), 1867, Charles Knight 67 – H-NYL 18193. Isotype – ?WELT.

Lecidea caesiopallens var. amoenior. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington, Charles Knight 122 – H-NYL 18282. Isotype – ?WELT.

Catillaria caesiopallens var. tristior. Lectotype selected here: New Zealand. Auckland, Rangitoto I., on Avicennia resinifera, H.H. Allan s.n. – CHR 373801.

Catillaria caesiopallens var. tristior f. nigrita. Lectotype: New Zealand. Auckland, Rangitoto I., on Metrosideros excelsa, H.H. Allan 77 – CHR 373890 [fide Galloway (1985a: 78)].

Catillaria caesia. Lectotype: New Zealand. Northland, Mahurangi River, on Avicennia resinifera, L.B. Moore 129 – CHR 373889 [fide Galloway (1985a: 78)].

Description : Flora (1985: 77–78).

N: Northland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: C: Widely distributed on bark of trees and shrubs in lowland forest.

Endemic

Megalaria melanotropa is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the whitish or pale greenish, wrinkled–verrucose to areolate or furfuraceous thallus, with or without a delimiting, wavy, black, marginal prothallus; sessile apothecia, 0.1–1.0 mm diam., the disc brownish to red-brown and white-pruinose; and oval or broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, (13.5–)15–19(–22) × 6–7(–9) μm. It is a commonly collected, very variable species. Thallus colour varies from whitish cream to olive-greenish, often in the same specimen; some collections from exposed habitats are also ±blackened. The thallus can be moderately thick and well-developed to ±effuse and discontinuous. Apothecia vary considerably in the presence and quantity of pruina developed, densely pruinose and epruinose fruits often occurring on the same specimen; thallus margins also vary from black and matt to red-brown and translucent. The extensive synonymy stems mainly from formal recognition of these variations in colour and texture of apothecia.