Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria deliquescens C.Knight, Trans. Linn. Soc. 23: 100 (1860).

=Verrucaria astata C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 8: 325 (1876). Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. 1: 280 (1877).

=Pyrenula consociata Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 255 (1941).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Auckland], Charles Knight 232 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 491)].

Verrucaria astata. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 491)].

Pyrenula consociata. Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Mt Cargill near Dunedin, on Coprosma propinqua, c. 400 m, J.S. Thomson T2081 [W 77] – CHR 379999 [fide Galloway (1985a: 491)]. Isolectotype – OTA.

Description : Flora (1985: 490).

N: Auckland to Wellington. S: Otago (Waitati, Mt Cargill). St: (Mill Creek). On bark of trees and shrubs (Berberis, Coprosma, Crataegus, Myrsine).

Endemic

Illustrations : Knight (1860: pl. 11, fig. 11 – as Verrucaria deliquescens; 1876: pl. X, fig. 22; 1877: pl. XXXVIII, fig. 3 – as Verrucaria astata); Malcolm et al. (2001: front and back covers).

Pyrenula deliquescens is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the yellow-brown to olivaceous thallus, smooth to roughened, glossy to matt, often with minute white spots (×10 lens), developed in broad bands or patches, 2–8(–10) cm diam.; emergent, solitary to 3–5-confluent perithecia with whitish grey ostioles; and ovoid-oblong, 3-septate ascospores, 17–20(–24) × 7–10 μm.