Flora of New Zealand Series

Lecidea pulverea Borrer in Hook. et Sowerby, Engl. Bot. Suppl. 2: tab. 2726 (1834).

Thallus thin, pale grey, inconspicuous, corticate or evanescent, ± obscured by scattered or contiguous, efflorescent soralia, soredia pale green-white, granular, in spreading patches 5-10 cm diam. Apothecia rare, round, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., disc concave at first becoming plane, black, matt, epruinose, proper margin, pale, thin, ± translucent, often disappearing. Ascospores oblong-ellipsoid, 1-septate, 15-18 × 7-9 µm. Chemistry: Thallus K+ yellow, C-, KC+ deep yellow, Pd+ rust-red. Atranorin, zeorin and fumarprotocetraric acid.

S: Canterbury, Craigieburn Forest Park. On dead Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides in shade in forest. First discovered in New Zealand by P. W. James (September 1981). The species is discussed by James [ Lichenologist 11: 170 (1979)].

?Cosmopolitan