Belonia pellucida
Holotype: New Zealand. Wellington, Scorching Bay, 41º18's, 174º50'E, 2 m, on Coprosma repens, 10 October 1995, W.M. Malcolm 2490 – CHR 486716. Isotype – E.
Description : Thallus thin, endophloeodal, white to whitish grey-green, pinkish when moist, forming small, weakly delimited patches amongst other crustose lichens. Photobiont Trentepohlia. Apothecia perithecia-like, 0.22–0.32 mm diam., solitary or 2–3-confluent, ±globose, dull yellowish to yellow-brown, translucent when wet, 25–33% emergent, usually remaining partly covered by a thin, thalline layer, opening by a small, inconspicuous pore, less than 50 μm diam. Exciple hyaline, 40–60 μm above, with rounded to short, elongate lumina, 2.5–4.5 × 2–2.5 μm, 12–16 μ wide at base, with compressed lumina. Hymenium to 105 μm tall, IKI+ blue. Subhymenium 7–12 μm thick, hyphae with numerous oil droplets. Paraphyses unbranched, slender, 0.7–1.3 μm diam., thinly septate, with numerous orange oil droplets. Asci cylindrical, 75–95 × 7–9.5 μm, thin-walled, without apical thickening, 8-spored. Ascospores filiform, colourless, 60–70 × 2–3 μm, 35–45-septate, cells broader than long, c. 1–2 μm long, without a distinct perispore.
Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.
N: Wellington (Scorching Bay). Known only from the type collection on Coprosma bark in coastal scrub.
Endemic
Illustrations : Coppins & Malcolm (1998: 564, fig. 1); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 71).
Belonia pellucida is characterised by: the corticolous habit; perithecia-like apothecia; and filiform, 35–45-septate ascospores, 60–70 × 2–3 μm.
