Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Otago, Cromwell on rocks near railway station, G.E. and Greta Du Rietz, January 1927, S - not seen.

Thallus crustose, in subdeterminate patches, 0.5-1.0 cm diam., sometimes confluent, brick-red to ochraceous, often somewhat indistinct, rather thin, K+ purple, saxicolous. Apothecia crowded, adnate, minute 0.2-0.5 mm diam., subconvex, round to contorted through mutual pressure, disc orange-red, matt, plane, margins persistent, entire, paler than disc, apothecium in section I+ blue. Ascospores ellipsoid, 2-locular 9-11 × 5-6 µm, septum c. ¼ the length of spore.

S: Otago. Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

This species is characterised by the whole apothecial tissues reacting blue to iodine. It is associated with species of Acarospora, Buellia, Candelariella vitellina and Lecidea.