Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Southland, Cascade Cove, Dusky Sound, 18.ii.1969, D.J. Galloway s.n – CHR 381011.

Description : Flora (1985: 24–25).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ orange; containing pannarin and zeorin.

N: Hawke's Bay (Kuripapango). S: Nelson (Stockton Plateau), Westland (Otira), Southland (Cascade Cove, Dusky Sound). On bark in both podocarp and Nothofagus forest, s.l. to 1000 m. At the time of its description thought to be a New Zealand endemic, it is now known from Tasmania where it is one of the most common and widespread species of the Megalosporaceae (Hafellner et al. 1989; Kantvilas & Jarman 1991; Kantvilas 1994c; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Sipman (1983: 45, fig. 6G; pl. 21D–E); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 7); Lumbsch et al. (2001: 17).

Austroblastenia pupa is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the thin, pale greenish grey to pale-grey thallus; apothecia with scattered, coarse whitish or greyish pruina on the pale orange-brown to reddish brown discs; and 4–8 highly distinctive, ovoid to subglobose, muriform ascospores, 45–80 × 23–32 μm (10–14 transverse septa and 43–5 vertical septa).