Flora of New Zealand Series

=Pertsuaria velata var. subvelata Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 67 (1888).

Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight. – WELT [Herb. Knight, Vol. 33, p. 21].

Pertusaria velata var. subvelata. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight – H-NYL 2302. [Based on material labelled by Knight, P. laevis, and sent by him to Nylander.]

Description : Flora (1985: 375–375).

Chemistry : K+ yellow, Pd+ orange; containing thamnolic acid.

N: ?Wellington. Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

Illustration : Knight (1884: pl. XL, fig. 8).

Pertusaria laevis is characterised by: the corticolous habit; a pale-olivaceous or grey-green or greyish white, thin, areolate thallus; verruciform apothecia with 1–5 ostioles per verruca; 8-spores asci; uniseriate, oval–ellipsoidal ascospores, 50–70 × 20–26(–30) μm, wall 1.5–2.5 μm thick; and thamnolic acid.