Flora of New Zealand Series

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight 67: 23 – WELT [fide Hayward (1977: 571)].

Description : Flora (1985: 175).

Chemistry : K+ yellow→red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange; containing norstictic acid.

N: Northland (Kawerua) to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. Widely distributed on both introduced (Alnus, Crataegus, Ligustrum, Prunus, Salix) and native (Avicennia, Coriaria, Halocarpus, Melicope, Nothofagus) trees and shrubs, coastal and lowland. Known also from Florida, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Brazil, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania (Hayward 1977; Wirth & Hale 1978; Kantvilas 1990c, 1991; Kantvilas & James 1991; Harris 1995; Archer 2001b; Staiger 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Pantropical

Illustrations : Knight (1884: pl. XL, fig. 17); Hayward (1997: 569, fig. 4C; 570, fig. 5F); Wirth & Hale (1978: 17, fig. 5D; 56, pl. 3E); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 129, 164).

Graphis librata is a very variable species characterised by: the corticolous habit; a continuous to fissured, cream-yellow to grey-white thallus; raised, branched, flexuose, crowded lirellae that tend to arrange themselves in parallel lines; a raised, prominent distinct thalline exciple closely following lirellae; ascospores 6–9-locular, the cells lenticular, 18–29 × 5–9 μm; and norstictic acid (K+ yellow→red).