Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecanactis exaltata Mont. & Bosch in F.A.W. Miquel, Pl. Junghuhn. 4: 475 (1857).

≡Phaeographis exaltata (Mont. & Bosch) Müll.Arg., Flora65: 336 (1882).

Description : Flora (1985: 382–383 – as Phaeographis exaltata).

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: South Auckland (Mt Moehau, Coromandel Ra.), Wellington (W slopes of Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Tophouse, Lead Hills), Westland (Greymouth), Otago (Lake Howden, Leith Saddle Dunedin), Southland (Doubtful Sound). St: Often on Nothofagus bark, montane, lowland and coastal, s.l. to 800 m. Known also from Mexico, Dominica, Brazil (Wirth & Hale 1963, 1978; Aptroot 2002e), Hawai'i, Japan, Sabah, Malesia, Java, the Philippines (Magnusson 1955; Nakanishi 1966; Hayward 1977; Staiger 2002; Kurokawa 2003; Nakanishi et al. 2003), mainland Australia and Tasmania (Kantvilas 1990c, 1994; Kantvilas & James 1991; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Palaeotropical

Illustrations : Wirth & Hale (1963: 107, fig. 75; 1978: 26, fig, 7D; 58, pl. 5F; 59, pl. 6A); Nakanishi (1966: 82, fig. 9E–H; pl. III, fig. 3); Hayward (1977: 576, fig. 9A; 577, fig. 10A–C); Singh & Awasthi (1981: 100, figs 4–6); Makhija et al. (1992b: 20, pl. 2, fig. 6); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 129) – all as Phaeographis exaltata; Staiger (2002: 299, fig. 103; 501, fig. 240).

Leiorreuma exaltatum is characterised by: the corticolous habit; a rather thick, grey to creamish grey thallus; flexuose, stellate or short and circular lirellae, often with thin, lateral thalline intrusions; a black to grey-pruinose disc; 6-locular ascospores, 22–38 × 10–12 μm; and no secondary chemistry.