Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Lichenicolous, immersed in thalli of Pseudocyphellaria intricata, whitish grey to dark grey-green. Apothecia sessile, to 0.5 mm diam., at first strongly urceolate to almost closed with a thick, brown-black margin, later disc-shaped with a persistent, thick, rough margin. Epithecium greenish-black. Hymenium colourless with oil droplets, 110–180 μm tall. Asci 100–130 × 12 μm, 4-spored. Ascospores narrowly fusiform or acicular, colourless, smooth, 30–50(–90) × 2.5–4 μm, 8–12(–15)-septate.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Wellington (Hihitahi State Forest). On Plagianthus regius, on dead thallus of Pseudocyphellaria intricata, J.K.Bartlett 26256 (BM). First recorded in New Zealand by Kondratyuk & Galloway (1994). Known also from Europe, Scandinavia, Britain and North America (Obermayer 1994; Ihlen 1998; Nimis & Martellos 2003), Tibet (Obermayer 2004), Brazil (Aptroot 2002e) and Tasmania (Kantvilas 1994b; Obermayer 2001: 35–36; McCarthy 2003). In Tasmania it is an aggressive parasite of Baeomyces heteromorphus (Obermayer 2001: 35).

Bipolar

Illustrations : Obermayer (1994: 327, fig. 3C–D); Flora of Australia58A (2001: xvii, pl. 26).

* Arthorhaphis grisea is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit (on Pseudocyphellaria intricata as host); sessile, urceolate apothecia; a greenish black epithecium; and narrowly fusiform to acicular, 8–15-septate ascospores, 30–50(–90) × 8–12 (–15) μm.