Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea hypopelidna Stirt., Proc. phil. Soc. Glasgow 10: 298 (1877).

≡Buellia hypopelidna (Stirt.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App.1: 71 (1894).

=Lecidea melaxanthella Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zeal.: 112 (1888).

≡Buellia melaxanthella (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 71 (1896).

≡Amandinea melaxanthella (Nyl.) Marbach, Biblthca Lichenol. 74: 87 (2000).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Wellington, sine loco, J. Buchanan 45/74 – GLAM [fide Galloway (1985a: 49)].

Lecidea melaxanthella. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight 114 – H-NYL 9302.

Description : Flora (1985: 49 – as Buellia hypolepidna [sic]).

Chemistry : Medulla K+ yellow, KC+ reddish, C+ orange, UV+ orange; containing thuringione, arthothelin (major); 4,5-dichloro-norlichexanthone, 4,5-dichloro-3- O -methylnorlichexanthone (minor) [Kalb & Elix (1998: 470)].

N: Wellington. S: Canterbury. St: Port Pegasus. On bark of Dacrydium, Hoheria and Myrsine australis, and on lignum. In bands or patches, associating with: Degeliella rosulata, D. versicolor, Megalaria pulverea, Menegazzia nothofagi, Pannaria sphinctrina. Still rather poorly collected and understood.

Endemic

Amandinea diorista var. hypopelidna is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the granular-uneven to verrucose, greenish yellow to pale greenish white thallus, delimited by a thin, black prothallus; scattered, solitary to 1–2-confluent, black apothecia, slightly immersed in thallus; biseriate greenish grey to dark-brown ascospores, slightly constricted at septum, the wall strongly sculptured, (11–)15–21(–24) × 5–8 μm; and xanthones (C+ orange, UV+ orange) in the medulla.