Chaenothecopsis nana
Description : Thallus on bark apparently not associated with lichens or algae. Apothecia small, 0.37–0.63 mm tall, black. Capitulum lenticular to hemispherical, 0.15–0.23 mm diam. Epithecium reddish brown. Hypothecium pale aeruginose-brown. Exciple poorly developed in mature apothecia; in young apothecia consisting of 5–6 layers of medium-brown hyphae formed as a continuation of outer part of stalk, 11–14 μm thick. Stalk 0.03–0.05 mm diam., of largely periclinally arranged hyphae; outer parts brown to slightly greenish brown, colourless centrally. All parts of apothecia K−, H−. Asci 26–33 × 3.1–3.8 μm, with distinct apical thickening penetrated by a fine canal. Ascospores medium- to dark-brown, simple, minutely ornamented and slightly allantoid, 5.4–6.8 × 3.1–3.8 μm.
N: Wellington (Kuripapango). S: Marlborough (Kowhai Bush), Canterbury (Peel Forest). On dry bark of Leptospermum scoparium, 20–510 m. Known also from Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, North and South America and Australia (Tibell 1987, 1998a, 1999c; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Tibell & Thor 2003; Tibell & Ryan 2004h; Hermansson & Pystina 2004; Titov et al. 2004).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Tibell (1987: 131, fig. 95; 1999c: 86); Goward (1999: 91, fig. 23A).
Chaeneothecopsis nana is characterised by: its simple, rather dark-brown, allantoid spores and the densely and obliquely and in part irregularly arranged spores of the semi-mature asci.
