Micarea magellanica
≡Patellaria magellanica Müll.Arg., Hedwigia 32: 129 (1893)
=Micarea austroternaria Coppins & Kantvilas, Lichenologist 22 (3): 277 (1990).
Description : Thallus effuse, of scattered to continuous areolae, prothallus not apparent. Areolae 80–300(–500) μm diam., convex to globose, grey-white and ±glossy, in exposed forms sometimes bluish grey in upper parts; ecorticate but with a hyaline epinecral layer to 12 μm thick. Photobiont cells micareoid, 4–7 μm diam. Apothecia numerous, (0.2–)0.3–0.8(–1) mm diam., or forming tuberculate clusters up to 1.4 mm diam., scattered or a few contiguous, at first plane and faintly marginate, soon becoming convex, adnate or constricted below and ±turbinate, black, matt or slightly glossy; margin scarcely raised above level of disc, usually slightly more glossy than disc. Hymenium 60–70 μm high, dark-aeruginose above (especially in epithecium), K−, N+ red, pale below. Paraphyses numerous, slender, sparingly branched and anastomosing, 1.3–2 μm wide, apices not swollen or densely pigmented. Hypothecium 200–350 μm thick, pale-aeruginose in upper parts, mottled olive-green or dull-brown below, K−, N+ reddish; lower hymenium and upper hypothecium often with additional, scattered violet pigment granules (K+ vivid-aeruginose). Exciple well-developed, pale-aeruginose above becoming hyaline below, except for greenish brown outer edge, of radiating, branched hyphae, 1.5–2 μm wide. Asci clavate, 52–65 × 12–14 μm, in K/I with amyloid outer coat, and an amyloid apical dome with a shallow, conical ocular chamber and a narrow apical cushion widening towards apical wall. Ascospores ellipsoidal to usually fusiform, rarely slightly curved, (1–)3-septate, (10–)14–22 × (4–)4.5–5.5(–6) μm. Pycnidia rare, immersed in areolae, black, 30–50 μm diam., wall green, N+ red. Microconidia rod-shaped with ±tapering ends, 6–7 × 0.8 μm.
Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow (faint), C+ pink (faint), KC+ orange-red, Pd+ deep yellow; containing alectorialic acid.
S: Westland (Stag Pass, Red Hills), Canterbury (Mt Hutt), Otago (The Remarkables, Poolburn Reservoir), Southland (West Dome). St: (Magog, Fraser Peaks). C: (St Col Peak, Mt Dumas, Mt Azimuth, Mt Sorenson). On damp soil between exposed rocks (greywacke, schist and serpentine) in subalpine or alpine grasslands, peat bogs or heaths. Also known from Tasmania and southern Chile and Staten I. (Coppins & Kantvilas 1990: 279; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Fryday 2004).
Austral
Illustration : Coppins & Kantvilas (1990: 278, fig. 1A–C).
Micarea magellanica is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the well-developed, grey-white, areolate thallus; 3-septate ascospores; and alectorialic acid.
