Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Verrucaria punctiformis Pers., Annln Bot. Usteri 5: 19 (1794).

≡Arthopyrenia punctiformis (Pers.) A.Massal., Ric. Lich. Crost.: 168 (1852).

Description : Flora (1985: 16 – as Arthopyrenia punctiformis).

N: S: Otago (Teviot Valley, Momona Airport, Dunedin). Throughout, on bark of introduced trees in parks and gardens and roadside plantings, Betula, Fraxinus etc. A common pioneer species in the Northern Hemisphere colonising twigs and bark of trees and shrubs with smooth, acid bark. Known from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North America and Australia (Coppins 1988, 1992b; Foucard 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Ozenda & Clauzade (1970: 194, fig. 138); Coppins (1988: 308, fig. 1F); Foucard (1990: 63; 1992: 54, fig. 1J; 56, fig. 2E) – as Arthopyrenia punctiformis.

Naetrocymbe punctiformis is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the darkened grey-brown, non-lichenised to facultatively lichenised thallus; the evenly scattered to irregularly clustered, subglobose, black perithecia, 0.1–0.2 mm diam.; and colourless, 1-septate ascospores, 16–20(–22) × 3–5 μm, slightly constricted at septum.