Flora of New Zealand Series

P. dinota Stirton, Proc. phil. Soc. Glasg. 10: 296 (1877).

P. thomsoniana Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 336 (1941).

Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). Charles Knight 4.9.75 No. 2, WELT Herb. Knight, Vol. 32, p. 14!

P. dinota. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington. J. Buchanan No. 67/74, 1874, BM!

P. thomsoniana. Holotype: New Zealand, Otago, Goat I. near Dunedin, Jan. 1934. J.S. Thomson ZA 304, W - not seen.

Thallus thick, chalky white or creamish-white, areolate-cracked or ± continuous or irregularly cracked to verrucose-uneven or plicate-rugose, surface smooth coriaceous, to ± roughened-tartareous, spreading in irregular often coalescing patches, 2-5(-20) cm diam. Fertile verrucae round to irregular, ± hemispherical, apex flattened or ± eroded and level with thallus surface, 1-8 mm diam., with 1-5 apothecia per verruca. Apothecia immersed, disc black or dark brown, epruinose, round to irregular and becoming ± stellate, 0.2-1.0 mm diam., often absent. Asci clavate, 4-spored. Ascospores uniseriate, oval 61-91.3(-115) × 30-43.5 µm. Wall 4-5 µm thick. Chemistry: K+ yellow → red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Norstictic and connorstictic acids.

N: S: St: A: C: Throughout on coastal rocks, common and visually striking.

Endemic