Flora of New Zealand Series

*P. sticticola Ertz, Wedin & Diederich in D. Ertz, C. Christnach, M. Wedin & P. Diederich, Biblthca Lichenol. 91: 102 (2005).

Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Nelson, Nelson Lakes National Park, 1.5 km SE of St Arnaud, along St Arnaud Ra. Track, 41º48's, 172º51'E, 650 m, on Sticta caliginosa, 1990, M. Wedin 2646 (UPS). Isotypes (BR, Herb. Diederich).

Description : Lichenicolous. Ascomata on upper surface, very rarely on lower surface of host thallus, solitary or rarely 2–5-together, black, rounded, flattened, inducing formation of basally often strongly constricted galls, 0.5–5 mm diam.; ascomata surrounded by a thalline pseudo-margin; surface uneven, entirely warted; each wart (120–280 μm diam.) corresponding to vertical projections of sterile tissue surrounded by hymenium, which is often hidden and appears as a slit-like, rounded opening between the contiguous warts; not visibly damaging host. Stroma multilocular, 115–160 μm thick; sterile stromatic tissue dark-brown to black, K+ dark olivaceous-brown, N+ reddish brown, generally well-developed between and below fertile loculi. Hymenium hyaline, I+ blue, quickly turning red, 80–110 μm tall. Subhymenium hyaline to pale-brown, 10–13 μm thick. Paraphyses branched, anastomosing, 1.5–2 μm thick, slightly swollen apically (to 3.5 μm). Asci clavate, (2–)4–6-spored, 60–80 × 12–15 μm. Ascospores hyaline, 3-septate, not or only very slightly constricted at septa, the end cell up to 1.5 times longer than central cells, (21–)23–28(–30) × (4–)4.5–5.5(–6) μm; perispore distinct, hyaline, 1 μm thick, the wall becoming brown and granular when over-mature. Pycnidia not seen.

N: Northland (Trounson's Park); South Auckland (Pirongia); Gisborne (Lake Waikaremoana); Wellington (Tongariro National Park, Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Springs Junction), Otago (Haast Pass); Southland (Purakino Valley). On lichen epiphytes in lowland coastal to montane forest, 100–1060 m.

Endemic

Hosts : Sticta caliginosa, S. filix, S. squamata, S. subcaperata.

Illustrations : Ertz et al. (2005: 103, figs 82, 83; 104, fig. 84).

* Plectocarpon sticticola is characterised by: the basally constricted galls surrounded by a thalline, pseudo-margin; the warted surface; 3-septate , long and narrow ascospores with distinctly elongate end cells; and species of Sticta as hosts (S. caliginosa, S. filix, S. squamata and S. subcaperata).