Flora of New Zealand Series

Thallus crustose, heteromerous, corticolous or saxicolous. Photobiont green, Trebouxia, or Myrmecia. Apothecia lecideine. Excipulum pale, of radiating hyphae. Hypothecium red-brown to greyish or grey-brown. Epithecium greenish-black or blue-black. Paraphyses free, simple, 2 µm thick, apices swollen to 4-5 µm thick. Asci clavate, thick-walled, with a prominent, I+ blue, apical tholus. Ascospores 8 per ascus, broadly ellipsoid, simple, colourless.

Lecidella, often included in Lecidea is separated from it by differencs in structure of the fruits, especially the asci which have a conspicuous, I+ blue apical tholus. At least 40 species are known and the genus is widely distributed [Hertel and Leuckert Willdenowia 5: 369-383 (1969); Hertel Herzogia 2: 231-261 (1969); Herzogia 3: 365-406 (1975); Ergebn. Forsch. Unternehmens Nepal Himal. 6 (3): 145-378 (1977)]. Two species are known from New Zealand, one from rocks and the other from smooth-barked trees and shrubs in lowland (both urban and forested) areas. In alpine regions several undescribed taxa exist and it is probable that several endemic species at present placed in Lecidea sens. strict. , will be placed eventually in Lecidella. The genus is still very poorly understood and collected in New Zealand. The present account was revised by Dr H. Hertel (Munich).

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* See addenda p. 636.