Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Auckland Is, Laurie Harbour, Grey Duck Creek, on dead twigs of Fuchsia, on thallus of Pseudocyphellaria rubella, 9.i.1963, P.W. James 1009/6 – BM.

Description : Lichenicolous on thallus of host. Pycnidia aggregated in small groups, immersed in galls 0.5–1 mm diam., having the form of apothecia-like structures with crenulate thalline margins (as in Plectocarpon lichenum), black, 280–340 μm diam., the outer pycnidial wall dark-brown, reddish brown to black, inner wall paler. Conidiogenous cells lining internal wall of pycnidial cavity, phialidic or annellide-like with one annellation, subcylindrical to ampulliform, mainly hyaline but sometimes becoming slightly or moderately pigmented and verrucose apically, 10–14.5(–18) × 4.5–5(–5.5) μm. Conidia arising singly from apices of conidiogenous cells, ellipsoidal or clavate (very variable in shape), distinctly truncate at base, brown to dark-brown, walls coarsely verrucose, (7–)9–11 × (5.5–)6–7 μm.

A: Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

Host : Pseudocyphellaria rubella.

[This species was originally attributed to "S.Y.Kondr., D.J.Galloway and D.Hawksw.". However as later pointed out by Hawksworth (1997: 97), he did not study the material critically himself or see the manuscript prior to its publication, so subsequently did not wish to be a co-author of the new taxa therein described. The original attribution must therefore be regarded as an error and corrected (Cole & Hawksworth 2004: 4), a position agreed to here.]

Illustrations : Kondratyuk et al. (1994: 96, fig. 2A–E).

* Lichenoconium plectocarpoides is characterised by: the lichenicolous habit (on Pseudocyphellaria rubella as host); the clustered pycnidia developed in thalline galls resembling Plectocarpon; ellipsoidal to clavate, brown to dark-brown conidia with coarsely verrucose walls, 7–11 × 5.5–7 μm.