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Lichens Pan-Z (2007) - Flora of New Zealand Lichens - Revised Second Edition Pan-Z
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Pyrenula Ach.

PYRENULA Ach., 1814  nom. cons. 

Type : Pyrenula nitida (Weigel) Ach. [=Sphaeria nitida Weigel,  typ. cons.]

Description : Flora (1985: 487).

Key

1
Ascospores muriform
2
Ascospores transversely septate
3
2
Thallus continuous, rarely irregularly cracked; ascospores oblong-ellipsoidal to broadly ellipsoidal, 8–11 transverse septa with 2–5 locules per tier, 60–70 × 30–35 μm
pyrenastroides
Thallus areolate; ascospores ovoid–ellipsoidal, 5–6 transverse septa, with 1–2 locules per tier, (30–)35–40 × 11–12 μm
prostrata
3
Ascospores oval-ellipsoidal or oblong, 4-locular
4
Ascospores fusiform-ellipsoidal, 6- or more locular
moniliformis
4
Perithecia immersed in thalline verrucae, indistinct
5
Perithecia semi-emergent to emergent, distinctly carbonised
6
5
Ascospores (20–)22–26 × 10–12(–14) μm
crassescens
Ascospores 17–20 × 6.5–8.5 μm
occulta
6
Peritheca mainly wider than 0.4 mm diam.; thallus epiphloeodal
7
Perithecia 0.05–0.4 mm wide; thallus endophloeodal
pseudonitidella
7
Thallus whitish or pale-grey
8
Thallus yellow-olive, ochraceous or greenish
9
8
Ascospores 27–32(–36) × 12–15.5 μm
deprimens
Ascospores (15–)17–22 × 10–12 μm
dealbata
9
Cortex ochraceous, or yellow-olive, very rarely with white spots
10
Cortex dark olive-brown, glossy, with numerous white spots
knightiana
10
Cortex olive-brown or yellow-olive; UV ±yellow-white
11
Cortex ochraceous; UV ±orange
cyrtospora
11
Ascospores 17–20 × 7–10 μm; TLC+
deliquescens
Ascospores 22–24 × 10–12 μm; TLC nil
homalisma

Pyrenula is a widespread, pantemperate, pantropical, corticolous genus included in the family Pyrenulaceae (Harris 1989; Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005) comprising some 200 species (Kirk et al. 2001), the bulk of which occur in warm-temperate to wet-tropical rainforest habitats. Typification of the genus is discussed by Hawksworth & Sherwood (1981) and by Harris (1989). New Zealand species were studied early on by the Auditor General, Charles Knight (1808–1891), when the seat of government was in Auckland, and his paper in the Transactions of the Linnean Society (Knight 1860) is still the only serious study of the group in this country. Harris (1989: 82) includes Parmentaria Fée and Melanotheca Fée within his delimitation of Pyrenula, explaining his delimitation in some detail (Harris 1989: 75–77; 82–83). His treatment is followed here. Useful information on the genus is given in the following accounts (Harris 1973 1989, 1995; Upreti 1990 1991a, 1991b, 1992, 1993, 1998b; Aptroot 1991a; Aptroot et al. 1997; McCarthy 2003c, 2006). Pyrenula is very much in need of study and collection here, and a modern treatment of the New Zealand taxa is long overdue. Twelve species are recorded here, based on the earlier accounts of Melanotheca, Parmentaria and Pyrenula (Galloway 1985a). However, the caveats as to New Zealand names propounded there (Galloway 1985a: 488), still apply.

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