Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Patellaria variegata Müll.Arg., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 32: 205 (1896).

≡Catillaria variegata (Müll.Arg.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 84 (1926).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, W. Colenso 1578 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 80)]. Isolectotype – ?WELT.

Description : Flora (1985: 80).

N: Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

Megalaria variegata is characterised by: the lignicolous habit; the ±obsolete grey-white thallus; apothecia 0.1–0.8 mm diam. (rarely 2–4 mm), sessile, solitary, plane to subconvex, pale red-brown to dark-brown, with or without a thin whitish pruina, and with persistent, raised margins concolorous with disc; and ellipsoidal–cylindrical to oblong–fusiform ascospores, 8–12(–13) × 2–3 μm.