Ingvariella bispora
≡Urceolaria bispora Bagl., Nuov. Giorn.Bot. Ital. 3: 246 (1871).
≡Diploschistes bisporus (Bagl.) Steiner, Sitzungsber. A. Akad. Wiss. Wien, math. – naturw. Kl. 102: 155 (1893).
Description : Thallus ochraceous to greenish grey or olivaceous, ±circular or spreading in irregular patches, 2–5(–7) cm diam., without a prothallus, markedly and deeply areolate, areolae angular, irregular 0.2–1.0(–1.5) mm diam., surface of areolae rather roughened, plane to ±lumpy. Apothecia common, 1–3 per areole, round to subirregular, 0.1–0.8 (–1.2) mm diam., solitary or 2–3–together and then ±confluent, margins prominent, black, raised, disc shallowly to deeply concave, red-brown to black, distinctly roughened-granular, sometimes patchily white-pruinose (×10 lens). Proper exciple blackish, 70–100 μm thick, pseudoparenchymatous. Hymenium colourless, 90–120 μm tall. Hypothecium colourless, 10–15 μm thick. Paraphyses 1–1.5 μm diam. Asci cylindrical 80–100 × 15–30 μm, 1–2-spored. Ascospores broadly ellipsoidal, colourless to brownish, or grey-blue, muriform, with 5–12 transverse septa and 2–5 longitudinal septa, 28–42 × 14–23 μm. Pycnidia not seen
Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.
S: Otago (Cromwell Gorge, Roxburgh). On ±flat or sloping schist rocks and boulders in full sunlight, appearing as a rather indeterminate greyish stain on rock, sometimes not apparent when covered with a layer of sand or dust. Known also from Europe, North America, North Africa, Nepal, Argentina, Uruguay and Australia (Lumbsch 1989: 163, fig. 17; Pant & Upreti 1993; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Lumbsch 2004).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Lumbsch (1989: 162, fig. 16A, B – as Diploschistes bisporus); Guderley et al. (1997: 151, fig. 2B); Lumbsch et al. (2001a: 3).
Ingvariella bispora is distinguished by: the saxicolous habit; the abundant black, rather gaping apothecia that occupy most of the area of the areolae on which they develop; the large, muriform spores; and the negative chemistry. Commonly associating with species of Acarospora, Candelariella vitellina, Diploschistes, and brown species of Xanthoparmelia in semi-arid habitats.
