Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Dimerella rubrifusca Vězda & Malcolm, Australas. Lichenol. 41: 34 (1997).

Holotype: New Zealand. South Island. Nelson, Hackett River, north side, 160 m., 41º24.0's, 173º13.5'E, on bark of mature Podocarpus totara in mixed beech-podocarp lowland forest, 25.ii.1996, W.M. Malcolm 2709 – CHR 489336. Isotypes – Herb. W. Malcolm; Herb. A Vězda.

Description : Thallus foliicolous, crustose, thin to almost indistinct or lacking, hypophyllous, without a marginal prothallus. Apothecia scattered, rather sparse, rounded, to 0.15 mm diam., and 50 μm tall, disc reddish brown or brown, in parts ±translucent, at first broadly adnate with thick margins and punctiform discs, at maturity constricted at base with thin, entire margins and open, concave to ±plane discs. Exciple plectenchymatous, pale reddish brown. Hymenium hyaline, 45–50 μm tall. Epithecium brownish. Paraphyses 0.5 μm diam, swollen at apices to 1–1.5 μm. Asci cylindrical. Ascospores uniseriate, ellipsoidal, 6–7 × 1.8–2.2 μm. Pycnidia not seen.

S: Nelson. Known only from the type locality.

Endemic

Illustration : Vězda & Malcolm (1997: 36, fig. 1 – as Dimerella rubrifusca).

Coenogonium rubrifuscum is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the minute, reddish brown apothecia (to 0.15 mm diam.); and the short ascospores, 6–7 × 1.8–2.2. μm,