Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Calicium albonigrum Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 1 (2): 159 (1860).

Description : Thallus saprophytic. Apothecia 0.7–1.3 mm tall, black. Stalk shining, black. Capitulum obconical to lenticular, with convex surface. Stalk 0.07–0.l2 mm in diam., epruinose, of parallel, dark-brown hyphae c. 3 μm in diam. Exciple well-developed, 20–45 μm thick, of large, thin-walled, almost isodiametric cells, 7–12 μm in diam., and present in 2–4 layers. Innermost cells of excipulum not strongly swollen, continuous with hyphae of upper part of stalk. Hypothecium broadly obconical, dark-brown, 140–170 μm thick. Hymenium 50–60 μm tall; epithecium thin, reddish brown. Asci 35–45 × 3–4 μm, cylindrical, apical parts thickened and with a short canal. Ascospores dark-brown, broadly ellipsoidal to ellipsoidal, simple, surface slightly uneven, 6–8 × 3–3.5 μm.

N: South Auckland (Te Araroa) to Wellington (Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes) to Southland (Oblong Hill near Lake Hauroko). On lignum in rather open situations on Nothofagus menziesii, N. solandri and Leptospermum scoparium, s.l. – 1150 m. Known also from North America, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Japan (Tibell 1982, 1987, 1996b; Tibell & Thor 2003).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Tibell (1987: 179, fig. 133; 180, fig. 134A–E; 1990: 224, figs 3–7; 225, figs 8–13; 226, figs 14–24; 228, figs 25–27; 230, figs 28–31; 231, figs 32–35; 232, figs 36–39; 1996b: 49, fig, 32A).

Mycocalicium albonigrum is characterised by: the lignicolous habit; the large, thin-walled and isodiametric cells of the excipulum in combination with the allantoid, non-septate and dark-brown spores.