Flora of New Zealand Series

=Lecidea pallidoatra Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 106 (1888).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington]. Charles Knight – M [fide Hertel (1984b: 417)]. Isolectotypes – BM, WELT.

Lecidea pallidoatra. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight s.n. – H-NYL 15248 [fide Hertel (1984b: 417)].

Description : Thallus areolate in patches, often intersecting with other lichens in mosaics, to 7.5 cm diam., 0.1–0.3(–0.5) mm thick, with a black prothallus between areolae and at margins delimiting thalli. Areolae angular, pale-brown to brown, plane to subconvex, smooth to shining, 0.3–1(–1.2) mm diam. Medulla I−. Apothecia rounded to angular, scattered to crowded, immersed to subimmersed, 0.3–0.5(–0.7) mm diam. disc plane to subconcave, black, matt, epruinose; margins indistinct grey, matt. Hypothecium brown to dark-brown, 50–120 μm thick, subhymenial layers colourless to pale-brown, 10–30 μm thick. Hymenium 35–60 μm tall, colourless or tinged brownish or reddish, I+ blue; epithecium dark-green to black, 10–15 μm thick. Asci 35–50 × 10–14 μm, tholus 7–11 μm thick. Ascospores ellipsoidal, (7–)10–12.5(–14.5) × (3–)4–6 μm. Pycnidia immersed. Conidia (5.5–)6.5–8 × 1 μm.

Chemistry : Cortex K−, C+ rose, Pd−; containing gyrophoric acid (major) and traces of lecanoric acid.

N: Wellington (Otupai Ra., Cape Palliser). S: Marlborough (NE of Kaikoura; Goose Bay), Canterbury (Cass, Hanmer, Lowry Peaks Ra., Lees Valley, Canterbury Plains, Banks Peninsula, Mt Peel, Rangitata Valley, Lake Pukaki), Otago (Old Man Ra., Teviot Valley SE of Roxburgh, Mopanui, Flagstaff, Abbott's Hill). On coastal and inland (schist) rock outcrops. Known also from mainland Australia, Tasmania, and South Africa (Hertel 1989b, 2001; Rambold 1989; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Exsiccati : Hertel (1987a: No. 167; 1988b: No. 185).

Illustration : Knight (1876: pl. X. fig. 6).

Lecidea atromorio is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the small brownish areolae with a hyaline epinecral layer; a non-amyloid (I−) medulla; apothecia flush with or slightly below surface of areolae; a mostly reddish hymenium; a dark-brown hypothecium; ascospores 7–12.5 × 3–6 μm; and gyrophoric acid. L. atrofuscula is very similar but has a different chemistry (it lacks gyrophoric acid) and has an amyloid medulla.