Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : * Globosphaeria jamesii D. Hawksw.

Description : Lichenicolous on upper surface of Normandina pulchella. Ascomata perithecia, subglobose, superficial, brown-black, ostiolate, smooth, without setae; walls mainly of dark reddish brown polyhedral pseuoparenchymatous cells (textura angularis); centrum I−. Hamathecium of mainly simple, filiform, septate paraphyses. Asci arising from base of locule, cylindrical, stalked, thin-walled, non-fissitunicate, I−, 8-spored. Ascospores uniseriately arranged in asci, globose, hyaline, smooth, thick-walled, with a germ pore.

Globosphaeria, included in Sordariales incertae sedis (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005), was introduced for the single species G. jamesii discovered on squamules of the lichen Normandina pulchella (q.v.) collected in Tasmania (Hawksworth 1990b). It is commensalistic or possibly mutualistic. The genus is characterised by dark, perithecioid ascomata, filiform paraphyses, thin-walled asci, and uniseriate, thick-walled, globose, hyaline ascospores. Pending investigation of additional material it is placed in the order Xylariales. Not yet recorded in New Zealand, it should be looked for in populations of Normandina pulchella here.