Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea parasema β elaeochroma Ach., Methodus: 35 (1803).

Description : Flora (1985: 242–243).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C+ orange-red; containing aotearone, capistratone, thiophanic acid and isoarthothelin. See also Knoph & Leuckert (1997: 134; 2004: 314) for composition of five separate chemodemes for this species.

N: Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. On smooth-barked trees and shrubs in both forested and urban areas. Common in subalpine scrub on Dracophyllum longifolium and Melicytus alpinus; associating with Haematomma alpinum, H. hilare, Rinodina corticola, Sarrameana cyamidia, Teloschistes fasciculatus, T. velifer, Usnea spp. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, South America, and Australia (Hertel 1971a; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Knoph & Leuckert 2004; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 127); Phillips (1987: 167); Wirth (1987: 257; 1995b: 525); Dobson (1992: 182; 2000: 207; 2005: 239).

Lecidella elaeochroma is characterised by: the corticolous to lignicolous habit; the mosaic-forming thallus that is C+ orange; black apothecia, 0.3–1 mm diam.; and ascospores 10–17 × 6–9 μm.