Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Thrombium epigaeum (Pers.) Wallr. [=Sphaeria epigaea Pers.]

Description : Flora (1985: 577).

Thrombium, formerly included in the family Thrombiaceae (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005), but recently shown to be synonymous with Protothelenellaceae (Schmitt et al. 2005), comprises five species worldwide (Zschacke 1934; Swinscow 1964: Breuss 2002f). It is distinguished by having perithecia, persistent, unbranched paraphyses, and simple, colourless ascospores. The persistent paraphyses separate it from Verrucaria in which these structures become swollen and gelatinised. Their nature is readily recognised when squash preparations are made in Melzer's reagent. One species is known in New Zealand.