Austrella P.M.Jørg.
Type : Austrella arachnoidea P.M. Jørg.
Description : Thallus squamulose, effuse, semi-gelatinous, similar to that of Santessoniella (q.v.) but with strongly differing apothecial characters. Photobiont cyanobacterial, curled chains of Nostoc. Ascomata apothecia, originating in non-lichenised hyphae that continue to grow from their base after development of a lichenised thallus; with a proper margin, occasionally also with a secondary, granular thalline margin. Hymenium 100–200 μm tall, upper parts brownish, hemiamyloid, finally reddish brown in I. Subhymenium conspicuous, to 400 μm thick, of densely interwoven hyphae. Asci narrowly elongate, slender, thin-walled without any apical thickening or amyloid structures, or with an indistinct apical ring-structure, 8-spored. Ascospores colourless, ellipsoidal, smooth-walled, simple, with or without terminal apiculae. Conidiomata not seen.
Austrella is a recently described genus of two species included in the family Pannariaceae (Jørgensen 2003c, 2004a, 2004e). The genus is a segregate of Santessoniella (q.v.) and is characterised by a differing apothecia development (see above) and slender, thin-walled asci without any apical thickening and amyloid structures. One species is known from New Zealand.
