Flora of New Zealand Series

Thysanothecium hyalinum var. squamulosum F. Wilson, Proc. R. Soc. Vict. N. S. 5: 176 (1893).

Primary thallus squamulose, squamules scattered to ± imbricate-crowded, terricolous. Squamules 0.2-2 mm wide and to 3.5 mm long, plane to subconvex, spathulate or cuneate, margins entire or minutely crenulate or occasionally ± bifurcate, ± ascending, not noticeably thickened. Upper surface pale yellow-green to olivaceous or brownish, smooth, matt, minutely maculate (×10 lens). Lower surface white, arachnoid. Pseudopodetia 2-8(-10) mm tall, concolorous with squamules or paler, ± minutely maculate, arising from margins of squamules, 0.1-0.5 mm diam. at base and there ± terete, expanding above to 1-2 mm diam., fissured-clathrate towards apices, exposing white medullary hyphae. Apothecia terminal, clustered-peltate, 0.05-0.3(-0.8) mm diam., disc round to irregular, plane to subconvex, brown-pink, sometimes ± white-pruinose, margins entire to crenulate, paler than disc, persistent. Ascospores simple, 6-9 × 3-4 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-, KC+, yellow; medulla K-, C-, Pd-. Usnic acid.

S: Nelson (Red Hill, Richmond State Forest Park). On serpentine soil at c. 1500 m. Probably more widely distributed.

Australasian

R. cochleata was first collected in New Zealand by J.K. Bartlett on 28 December, 1981 from Red Hill, Nelson. It grows on soil in this locality with Cladonia bellidiflora, C. ochrochlora and C. pleurota, and was identified by A.C. Archer. It is superficially similar to Thysanothecium scutellatum but the primary squamules are larger and the pseudopodetia are more like those of Cladia, while the small, terminal, clustered apothecia have little resemblance to those of Thysanothecium. It has differing ecological requirements also and is never found on burned wood.