Flora of New Zealand Series

Lecidea stellulata Taylor in Mack., Fl. hibern. 2: 118 (1836).

Thallus thin, silvery grey-white ± to pale bluish-grey, rarely darker, determinate, areolate, areolae angular, limited by a fimbriate, black prothallus, in irregular patches, 1-(4-8) cm diam., often forming mosaics, saxicolous. Apothecia between areolae, 0.1-0.6 mm diam., innate, concave to plane, black, matt, epruinose, margins, raised above level of thallus, persistent entire. Hypothecium pale to dark brown. Ascospores ellipsoid to oval with rounded ends, not constricted at septum, 8.3-12(-15) × (3.4-)5.1-6.8(-8.5) µm.

N: Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. On coastal rocks, often on smooth pebbles and small stones. Associating with Rinodina thiomela, Xanthoparmelia mougeotina and X. subnuda.

Cosmopolitan