Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Plagiographis devia C.Knight & Mitt., Trans. Linn. Soc. 23: 104 (1860).

=Plagiographis rubrica C.Knight & Mitt., Trans. Linn. Soc. 23: 104 (1860).

≡Opegrapha rubrica (C.Knight & Mitt.) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 78 (1894).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Auckland, Sine loco, Charles Knight, Herb. Knight, Vol. 65A: 5, lower piece on page – WELT [fide G. Hayward (1977: 579)].

Plagiographis rubrica. Lectotype: New Zealand. Auckland, on smooth bark, Charles Knight – BM [fide G. Hayward (1977: 578)].

Description : Flora (1985: 326).

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Kaitaia, Great Barrier I.) Auckland. S: Southland (Doubtful Sound, Borland Saddle). On bark and on subalpine rock outcrops (Borland Saddle on granite). Still very poorly collected and understood here.

Endemic

Illustrations : Knight & Mitten (1860: tab. 12, fig. 27 – as Plagiographis devia; tab. 12, fig. 28 – as Plagiographis rubrica); Hayward (1977: 578, fig. 11B; 581, fig. 13B).

Opegrapha devia is characterised by: the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; the smooth, yellow or creamish to somewhat reddish thallus on bark (obsolete to lacking on rock); flexuous branched lirellae (subalpine saxicolous collections have short, unbranched lirellae, reminiscent of grains of black wheat); colourless (brownish when over-mature), simple to 1-septate ascospores, 15–18(–30) × 6–8(–12) μm, constricted at septum with one cell slighly larger.