Pseudephebe minuscula (Nyl. ex Arnold) Brodo & D.Hawksw.
Imbricaria lanata var. minuscula Nyl. ex Arnold, Verhandl. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 28: 293 (1878).
Thallus prostrate, decumbent, in extreme forms becoming subfoliose or even crustose or pulverulent, generally forming ± circular, closely attached thalli, to 7 cm diam. Branches always flattened especially in older parts, to 1 mm broad, tapering irregularly, to 0.2-0.5 mm on main stems and 0.1 mm at tips, where branches are very uneven but ± terete, branching irregularly isotomicdichotomous with numerous, short, lateral branches often present giving a "ciliate" appearance, internodal distance short, usually 0.2-0.5(-1.0) mm, dark brown to black, shiny or dull, occasionally pale brown at base. Apothecia fre quent, disc dark red-brown to black, flat, to 3 mm diam., margins persistent, smooth to verrucose. Ascospores 7.7-8.0 × 6.7-9.0 µm. Pycnidia abundant, embedded in thallus and opening to surface through broad ostioles. Conidia 6-8 × 1 µm.
S: Canterbury (Eastern foothill ranges: Torlesse Ra. to Mr Peel. Kirkliston Ra.), Otago (Central Otago mountains from St Bathans Ra. to the Remarkables). On rock, alpine 1600-2500 m.
Bipolar
P. minuscula is characteristic of rock outcrops and windswept gravels in fellfield and is very variable; usually thalli are conspicuously flattened and very minute, although robust specimens can become almost ascendent and develop terete branches and closely resemble P. pubescens. In New Zealand it is sympatric with P. pubescens though much less frequent.
