Stirtoniella D.J.Galloway, Hafellner & Elix
Type : Stirtoniella kelica (Stirt.) D.J.Galloway, Hafellner & Elix [Lecidea kelica Stirt.]
Description : Thallus crustose, corticolous. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid. Ascomata apothecia, biatorine, mustard-yellow to ochre-yellow, K+ red-purple (pulvinic acid derivatives). Exciple with textura intricata in longitudinal section. Asci Bacidia -type, with rostrate dehiscence. Hypothecium interpenetrated by strands or clumps of photobiont cells. Hamathecium of paraphyses, branching and with many anastomoses, tips surrounded by crystals of pulvinic acid derivates. Ascospores colourless, 1-septate, straight or slightly curved without a perispore. Conidiomata pycnidia, immersed in minute, black thalline warts. Conidia bacillar. Thallus containing depsidones (protocetraric and subvirensic acids) and apothecia with pulvinic acid derivatives.
Stirtoniella is a monospecific genus included in the family Ramalinaceae (Galloway et al. 2005), described for the species Lecidea kelica, a distinctive corticolous taxon having prominent mustard-yellow to ochre-yellow (K+ purple-red) biatorine apothecia, Bacidia -type asci and colourless, 1-septate ascospores without a distinct perispore. Formerly included in Catillaria s. lat. (Galloway 1985a: 76–77), it occurs most commonly in northern coastal forest, with a disjunct, southern population around Cook Strait (from Kapiti I. to Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds). It also occurs in Tasmania (Galloway et al. 2005).
