Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Thallus thin, ±immersed, whitish to greyish white or inconspicuous, in indeterminate patches without a marginal prothallus. Apothecia 0.2–0.5 mm diam., forming in pits in substratum, round to irregular; thalline exciple thin, white, slightly raised, crenulate or flexuose, occluded at maturity. Epithecium blue-green or olivaceous, K+ blue-green (intensifying), N+ purple-red. Hymenium 30–45 μm tall. Paraphyses 1–2 μm diam., sparsely branched, apices slightly swollen, to 2.5 μm. Asci 25–38 × 8– 12 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 8–10 × 3.5–5 μm.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

C: (bay opposite Dent I.). On coastal limestone cliffs (Fryday 2004a). Known also from Great Britain, and Europe, (Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Poelt & Leuckert 1995; Scholz 2000; Coppins 2002b).

Bipolar

Illustrations : Poelt & Leuckert (1995: 305, fig. 5D, E ; 308, fig. 6).

Lecanora aghardiana is characterised by: the saxicolous (basicolous habit); a thin, whitish, inconspicuous thallus; apothecia forming pits in the substratum, disc black to brown-black, with a blue-grey pruina; and a distinctive blue-green epithecium.