Malcolmiella Vězda,
Type: Malcolmiella cinereovirens Vězda
Description : Thallus crustose, granular. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid, aggregated into goniocysts. Ascomata apothecia, biatorine, dimerelloid. Exciple pseudoparenchymatous. Hymenium colourless, I+ blue. Hamathecium of paraphyses, straight, simple, the apices thickened. Asci I+ blue, cylindrical–clavate, 8-spored. Ascospores broadly ellipsoidal, simple at maturity (rarely 1- or 3-septate when immature), ellipsoidal, colourless; epispore continuous, or developed in thickened transverse bands or ridges.
Malcolmiella, a genus comprising c. 10 taxa (Vězda 1997a: 2; Lücking & Kalb 2000; Kalb 2001c; 2004a: 311; Lumbsch et al. 2001a: 22), is accommodated in the Bacidiaceae sensu Ekman (1996a). Vězda (1997a: 2) in the protologue states that Malcolmiella is similar to the genera Bacidina (q.v.) and Mycobilimbia (q.v.), but is distinguished from these by the presence of photobiont cells aggregated into goniocysts, and the nature of the distinctively discontinuous, ridged or banded epispore. Species of Malcolmiella are corticolous and foliicolous, with the latter well-represented in rainforest understorey shrubs in NE Brazil, where some seven species are presently known (Lücking & Kalb 2000; Dr Maria Caceres, pers. comm.). One species is recorded from New Zealand.
Malcomiella is named for the New Zealand lichenologist Dr W.M.[Bill] Malcolm, who in recent years has made many distinguished contributions to our knowledge of New Zealand's lichen mycobiota, especially of foliicolous and crustose lichens, and in particular as a lichen illustrator, both as photographer and artist. He is currently Editor of Australasian Lichenology.
