Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sphaerophorus tibellii Wedin, Lichenologist 24 (2): 129 (1992).

Holotype: New Zealand. Wellington, Tongariro National Park, vicinity of Whakapapa Village, close to Whakapapanui Stream, c. 1150 m, 1981, L. Tibell 13445 – UPS. Isotype – CHR.

Description : Thallus broadly flattened, sparingly branched up to 50 mm long and 12 mm wide. Upper surface greyish to brownish green, smooth or slightly wrinkled, strongly wrinkled to ridged above the apothecia. Lower surface white, smooth or sparsely wrinkled. Apothecia common, subterminal, broad, 6.5–8.5 mm wide. Mazedia ventrally exposed through a rounded opening in the enclosing crater-like thalline receptacle. Ascospores globose, (14.5–)15–18.5(–21) μm, reddish brown. Pycnidia common at apices and along lower side of terminal branches. Conidia oblong, slightly thickened towards apices 3–4.5 × 1.5 μm.

Chemistry : Medulla K−, Pd+ faint yellow; containing sphaerophorin (major), protocetraric acid (minor or tr.), ascomatic acid (major in apothecia) and several unidentified compounds (Wedin 1995b; 2001a : 11).

N: Taranaki (Mt Taranaki) to Wellington (Ohakune). S: Otago (Earnslaw Burn). In small tufts in alpine mountain beech forest. Also in Tasmania (Wedin 1995b, 2001a: 11; McCarthy 2003c, 2006) and southern Chile.

Austral

Illustrations : Wedin (1992: 128, fig. 6; 199b5: 85, fig. 42A).

Bunodophoron tibellii is a broadly flattened and sparingly branched species with the mazedium exposed through a circular opening in the crater-like receptacle. It has the largest spores of any species in the genus.