Flora of New Zealand Series

≡*Lecidea badia Fr., Syst. Orb. Veg. 1: 287 (1825).

≡*Buellia badia (Fr.) A.Massal., Mem. Lich.: 124 (1853).

=*Lecidea whakatipae C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst 8: 317 (1876). Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. 1: 277 (1877).

=*Lecidea badiella Nyl., sensu Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 112 (1888).

Lecidea whakatipae. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, 5.vii.1875, Charles Knight s.n. – WELT [fide Triebel (1987: 344)].

Description : Lichenicolous, on surface of host. Thallus areolate to squamulose, brownish. Apothecia lecideine, 0.3–0.7 mm diam., sessile, constricted at base; disc black, plane to subconvex, margins thin, persistent, Exciple aethalea -type. Hymenium hyaline, not inspersed with oil droplets, to 80 μm tall. Epithecium brown to dark-brown. Hypothecium dark-brown. Asci broadly clavate, 45–55 × 13–18 μm, apical apparatus thick, I+ blue, similar to that in the genus Cratiria -type (Marbach 2000). Ascospores broadly oblong, slightly constricted at septum, Buellia -type, 12–14 × 7–8 μm, ornamentation psilate.

S: Canterbury (Lynn Stream Mt Peel), Otago (Lake Wakatipu), Southland (S Mavora Lake). Parasitising saxicolous lichens in exposed, sunny, upland habitats, but still very poorly known and collected here. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, North Africa, Australia and North America (Hafellner 1979; Triebel et al. 1991; Scheidegger 1993; Elix and Kantvilas 1995; Sipman & Streimann 1998; Becker 2002; Coppins 2002b; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Bungartz & Nash 2004a; Kalb 2004a).

Cosmopolitan

Hosts : In New Zealand known from Aspicilia sp. and species of Xanthoparmelia (Triebel 1987: 343), and Physcia (Nylander 1888: 112). Known more widely from various genera in the Parmeliaceae (viz. Melanelia, Paraparmelia, Xanthoparmelia) as well as from Acarospora, Aspicilia, Buellia, Caloplaca, Diploschistes, Rinodina and Umbilicaria (Vouaux 1913c: 462; Hafellner 1979, 2004a: 183; Triebel 1987; Triebel et al. 1991; Scheidegger 1993: 346; Foucard et al. 2002: 15; Bungartz & Nash 2004a; Kalb 2004a).

Illustrations : Knight (1876: pl. X, fig. 9(1); 1877: pl. XXXVII, fig. 11 – both as Lecidea whakatipae); Hafellner (1979: 53, fig 2); Wirth (1987: 81; 1995a: 196); Nordic Lichen Flora Vol. 2 (2002: 91 – as Buellia badia); Bungartz & Nash (2004a: 23, fig. 1; 24, fig. 2 – as Buellia badia).

* Monerolechia badia is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit; the small brown squamules growing on the lichen host (species of Aspicilia and Xanthoparmelia); scattered, black, lecideine apothecia; and Buellia -type ascospores, 12–14 × 7–8 μm, with psilate ornamentation.