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Lichens (1985) - Flora of New Zealand Lichens
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Lecanora Ach.

LECANORA Ach. in Luyken, 1809

Thallus heteromerous, crustose, uniform or effigurate or squamulose and small-foliose, seldom dwarf-fruticose, attached to substrate by hyphae of prothallus or of medulla, rhizines absent, corticate or decorticate. Photobiont green, Trebouxia and possibly other genera. Apothecia sessile, circular, with a well-developed thalline margin, at least when young, in some species excluded at maturity. Paraphyses unbranched, free. Hypothecium colourless or coloured. Asci 8-spored, rarely 16- to 32- spored. Ascospores colourless, ellipsoid, simple, elongate to spherical, rarely spuriously 1-septate, thin-walled. Pycnidia immersed. Conidia bacillar, cylindrical or filiform, straight or curved.

Key

1
Thallus squamulose-placodioid, or at least at margins
allanii
Thallus crustose
2
2
Saxicolous
3
Corticolous or on tussock bases
12
3
On basic rocks (limestone, mortar)
4
On acid
6
4
Apothecia 1-2 mm diam., disc dark brown or red-brown, thallus plicate-radiate at margins
fertilissima
Apothecia 0.05-1.0 mm diam., yellow-brown, brown, olive or black, thallus not plicate-radiate at margins
5
5
Apothecia densely crowded, 1 mm diam., consistently grey-pruinose, margins translucent never sorediate
pulvinaris
Apothecia scattered 0.05-0.2 mm diam., epruinose or white-pruinose, margins becoming white-sorediate
dispersa
6
Apothecia pruinose
7
Apothecia epruinose
9
7
Disc C+ orange
rupicola
Disc C-
8
8
Thallus grey-white, pruina of disc thick
blanda
Thallus creamish-buff, pinkish or rusty-brown, pruina of disc thin or absent
subglaucodea
9
Disc red-brown or pink
10
Disc black, or yellow
11
10
Disc dark red-brown, paraphyses capitate, thalline margin without oxalate crystals
campestris
Disc pale buff-pink, paraphyses not capitate, thalline margin with oxalate crystals
cenisea
11
Disc black
atra
Disc yellow
polytropa
12
On dead tussock bases
broccha
On bark or lignum
13
13
Apothecial disc pruinose
14
Apothecial disc epruinose
17
14
Spores large, 17-34 × 7-15 µm
15
Spores smaller, 8-15 × 5-8.3 µm
16
15
Thallus greenish-grey or creamish, spores fabiform, 20-30(-34) × 7-10.2(-13) µm
cyamidia
Thallus pale yellow-green, spores oval, 17-22.1 × 10.2-15.3 µm
flavopallida
16
Thallus ± decorticate-scurfy, disc red-brown or brown, rarely white-pruinose, margins disappearing
leprosa
Thallus granular-verrucose, disc red-brown, densely white-or buff-pruinose, margins persistent
pallida
17
Disc black, or red-brown
18
Disc yellow or yellow-brown
19
18
Disc black
atra
Disc red-brown
chlarotera
19
On decorticated wood or lignum, spores 11-20.4 × 7-12 µm
symmicta
On bark, spores 10.2-13.6 × 3.4-4 µm
strobilina

Lecanora is a cosmopolitan genus of more than 400 species included in the family Lecanoraceae. The rounded, sessile fruits with a well-defined thalline margin which is normally concolorous with the thallus, are characteristic, though in some species this margin may be difficult to detect in mature fruits. No cephalodia are developed and the spores are small, colourless and simple. The most recent account of species in New Zealand is that of Zahlbruckner [ Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 338-347 (1941)]. The present account discusses 19 species which occur in a wide range of habitats; on bark, lignum, rock, on tussock bases and detritus, and on mosses from s.l. to 200 m. Many nomenclatural problems in this genus await resolution, and in New Zealand many taxa cannot at present be named with certainty. Much more collecting and study of local populations is needed before Lecanora in New Zealand is known at all adequately. Corticolous and lignicolous species especially are in need of special collection and study.

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