Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. South I. Canterbury, Lowry Peaks Ra., 1 km S of Mt Palm, i.1980, J.A. Elix 6892 – ANUC. Isotype! – CHR 267116.

Description : Thallus crustose, uniform, rimose–areolate, whitish green to greenish grey; areolae 0.5–1.3 mm diam., irregularly angular. Apothecia perithecioid, immersed, blackish to 0.8 mm diam., and 0.35 mm tall. Proper exciple grey-black, 35–70 μm thick, pseudoparenchymatous, concolorous with thallus. Hymenium 120–150 μm tall. Hypothecium 10–15 μm thick, colourless. Paraphyses 1–1.5 μm thick, simple. Asci cylindrical 110–140 × 18–30 μm, (6–)8-spored, I−. Ascospores brown, muriform, broadly ellipsoidal, 5–7 transverse septa, 2–4 longitudinal septa, 20–30 × 14–18 μm.

Chemistry : K−, C+ red, Pd−; containing gyrophoric (major) and lecanoric (minor) acids.

S: Canterbury (Mt Palm, Lowry Peaks Ra., Rangitata Terrace). On exposed rocks in relatively dry habitats. Associating with Candelariella vitellina, Rhizocarpon geographicum, Tephromela atra, Xanthoparmelia flavescentireagens. Known also from ACT and New South Wales in Australia (Allen et al. 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Lumbsch & Elix 2003).

Australasian

Illustration : Lumbsch & Elix (1989: 197, fig. 1C).

Diploschistes gyrophoricus is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; areolate, greenish thallus; immersed, perithecioid apothecia; (6–)8-spored asci; broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, 20–30 × 14–18 μm; and gyrophoric acid in the medulla.