Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Biatorella rouselii (Durieu & Mont.) De Not. [Biatora rousellii Durieu & Mont.]

Description : Flora (1985: 38).

Biatorella is a widespread, mainly Northern Hemisphere temperate genus of c. 30 species (Kirk et al. 2001), included in the monogeneric family Biatorellaceae (Eriksson et al. 2004: Pennycook & Galloway 2004). The family is circumscribed thus: Thallus crustose, often poorly developed. Ascomata apothecia, developing superficially, pale yellowish to brown, without a well-developed wall, usually slightly domed. Hymenium I+ blue. Paraphyses branched near apices and forming an epithecium. Asci multispored; cylindrical to clavate with a well-developed, usually weakly I+ blue apical dome having a darker staining basal layer; ocular chamber absent, and with a strongly amyloid outer gelatinous layer. Ascospores small, colourless, simple (Hafellner & Casares-Porcel 1992). Two species are recorded from New Zealand, one being lichenicolous. Useful information is given in Magnusson (1935).