Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., ledges of mollymawk rookery at north side of base of Courrejolles Peninsula, 30.xii.1969, H.A. Imshaug 46926 – MSC. Isotype – CHR.

Description : Thallus crustose, irregularly spreading, 0.05–0.07 mm thick, areolate, creamy-white, surface scurfy without a clearly defined cortex. Prothallus absent. Apothecia abundant, immersed in thallus, concave, round to subangular, 0.2–0.25 mm diam., disc translucent, pale-brown to red-brown, occasionally becoming darker. Epithecium 30–40 μm thick, orange to pale-brown (K−, N–). Hymenium colourless, I+ blue, 150–170 μm tall. Paraphyses slender, 1.5–2 μm wide, sparingly branched and anastomosing, septate, cells 10–15 μm long, apices not swollen or pigmented. Hypothecium hyaline, thin, 10–20 μm thick, of randomly orientated hyphae. Asci cylindrical to subclavate, 60–80 × 17–20 μm, Bacidia -type. Ascospores colourless, simple, (13–)15–17(–18) × 7–8(–8.5) μm, apices attenuate.

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV−; containing atranorin.

C: Known only from the type locality on coastal rocks.

Endemic

Herteliana australis is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the pale-grey, glaucous scurfy thallus; immersed apothecia; simple ascospores; and atranorin.