Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Calicium victoriae C.Knight ex F.Wilson, Vict. Nat. 6: 64 (1889).

Description : Thallus saprophytic, infected area often whitish. Apothecia black, 0.6–0.9 mm high, stalk shining, black. Capitulum obconical to lenticular, 0.26–0.32 mm diam. Stalk 0.08–0.10 mm diam., centrally consisting of mainly periclinally arranged, somewhat intertwined, pale hyphae, c. 2–3 μm diam., outermost parts of stalk 14–28 μm thick, reddish, of irregularly intertwined hyphae with rather thick walls. Exciple 35–60 μm thick laterally, reddish brown to brown in outer parts, hyaline internally, of isodiametric to elongated cells, 7–12 μm diam., forming a pseudoparenchyma. Hypothecium greenish, 65–90 μm thick. Hymenium 50–60 μm tall. Stalk K+ reddish or greyish violet-red, the pigment dissolving. Asci cylindrical, 44–55 × 4–5 μm, the apex uniformly thickened and without a canal. Ascospores dark-brown, allantoid to subellipsoidal, 8–9 × 3.5–4.5 μm, surface smooth or very minutely ornamented.

N: Northland (Kaikohe), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.). On dry lignum in open situations. Rarely collected in New Zealand. Known also from Australia, Europe, North America and Japan (Tibell 1984b, 1987; Tibell & Thor 2003).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Tibell (1987: 195, fig. 147; 196, fig. 148A–F).

Mycocalicium victoriae is characterised by: the lignicolous habit; the rather robust apothecia, the reddish colour of the outer part of the stalk and exciple; the pale central part of the stalk, and the excipular anatomy.