Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea monticola Ach. in L.E. Schaerer, Lich. Helv. Spicil. Sect 4–5: 161 (1833).

Description : Thallus spreading in irregular patches, 0.5–2.5 cm diam., often appearing as a somewhat pale stain amongst other lichens, surface greyish or pale olivaceous-brownish, indeterminate, granular-scurfy to somewhat areolate to subimmersed, without a prothallus. Apothecia small, prominent, widely scattered to clustered, sessile, not immersed, constricted at base, not forming pits, 0.1–0.6(–0.8) mm diam., disc flat to convex, dark red-brown to black, matt, epruinose. Epithecium pale red-brown or orange-brown, 7– 12 μm thick. Hymenium hyaline, 50–76(–120) μm tall. Hypothecium opaque, dark red-brown. Paraphyses moniliform, asci 45–60(–83) × 12–20 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 11.5–13.5(–15) × 5–7.5 (–9) μm. Pycnidia moderately abundant, semi-immersed to immersed. Conidia bacillar, 4–5 × 1–2 μm.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

S: Canterbury (Weka Pass, Cave Stream). On basicolous (limestone) rocks, associating with Acarospora spp., Buellia albula, Caloplaca spp., Lecanora crenulata, L. dispersa, Placynthium nigrum, Rinodina spp., Sarcogyne regularis etc. Still very poorly known in New Zealand. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Faeroe Is, North America, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Greece, and Chile (Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Wirth 1995; Egea 1996; John 1996; Kondratyuk et al. 1996a; Renobales 1996; Seaward 1996; Diederich & Sérusiaux 2000; Scholz 2000; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Meyer 2003; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Bipolar

Illustrations : Hafellner (1984: 320, fig. 66); Foucard (1990: pl. 198 – as Lecidea monticola); Dobson (2000: 137; 2005: 148); Meyer (2003: 94, fig. 2A; 115, fig. 5; 116, fig. 6).

Clauzadea monticola is characterised by: the saxicolous habit (basicolous rocks); the scurfy-indeterminate thallus; dark red-brown to black, flat to convex, sessile apothecia; Porpidia -type asci; and simple, colourless ascospores, 11–15 × 5–7.5 (–9) μm.