Flora of New Zealand Series

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 607). See also McCarthy (2001j: 187).

N: Three Kings Is to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland, St: Ch: A: C: Ant: Very widely distributed on maritime rocks at, and just below, high tide mark where it can form extensive patches, the black thallus resembling splashes of tar. Often in ±continuous belts or zones. A very widely distributed maritime lichen being known from coasts in Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Japan, North and South America, Australia, Marion and Prince Edward Is, and Antarctica (Hawksworth et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Øvstedal & Gremmen 2001; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; McCarthy 2001j, 2003c; Santesson et al. 2004; Elvebakk & Bjerke 2006).

Cosmopolitan

Ilustrations : Zschacke (1934: 180, fig. 79); Phillips (1987: 164); Foucard (1990: fig. 340); McCarthy (1991b: 331, fig. 8B–D); Dobson (1992: 352; 2000: 402; 2005: 451); Brodo et al. (2001: 728, pl. 897); Flenniken & Gibson (2003: 45, 47, 48).

Verrucaria maura is characterised by: the coastal rock habit; the areolate, dull, brown to black, non-gelatinous thallus, the flat, angular areolae, resembling cracked mud; a roughened upper surface with tiny points but without ridges; warted, semi-immersed, large perithecia, 0.3–0.6 mm diam., the black involucrellum spreading and extending downwards to the base of the thallus; the dark exciple; and large ascospores, 12–18 × 7–10 μm.