Lecidea hybrida Zahlbr.
Type: New Zealand. Canterbury, Castle Hill, on exposed limestone outcrops in tussock grassland c. 600 m. H.H. Allan A 18.
Thallus in rounded to irregular patches 1-3(-5) cm diam., 0.2-0.3 mm thick, whitish or pale grey-white or finely spotted with minute black dots, ± finely granular or powdery. Apothecia appearing superficially lecanorine, sessile to subinnate, scattered or crowded, mainly central, rounded, 0.4-1.2 mm diam., disc flat, black, matt, at first grey-pruinose, margins entire to subcrenulate, black or grey-pruinose, surrounded by a thin, white collar of thalline tissue. Epithecium green-black, granular, 9-22 µm thick. Hymenium colourless, 65-85 µm tall. Hypothecium massive, brown-black. Ascospores ellipsoid, 12-15.3 × 7-8.3 µm.
S: Canterbury (Flock Hill, Castle Hill) on limestone.
Endemic
This species is superficially similar to Diplotomma alboatrum, (and to European Rhizocarpon umbilicatum) and the two species are sympatric in this habitat, however the spores immediately indicate the correct genus.
