Lecidea ochroleuca
Family
Lecideaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the saxicolous habit; broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, a dark-brown hypothecium, asci Lecidea-type; and no detectable secondary compounds in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Whale Island). South Island: Otago (Dunedin).
Known also from Mexico (Baja California) and Australia.
Habitat
On soil, especially sunny clay banks and siliceous rocks in open situations.
Detailed description
Thallus verrucose–areolate, to 6 cm diam., and to 0.3 mm thick, without a delimiting prothallus. Areolae irregularly angular, white to grey, plane to subconvex, roughened or smooth, 0.5–1 mm diam. Medulla I−. Apothecia rounded to auriculate, scattered to crowded, 0.7–1.3(–2) mm diam., sessile. Disc plane to subconvex, black, matt, rarely white-pruinose; margins concolorous with disc, matt, distinct at first then becoming occluded. Hypothecium dark-brown, 120–160(–200) μm thick, subhymenial layer pale brownish or greenish, 15–30 μm thick. Hymenium 60–95 μm tall, colourless to pale greenish, I+ bluish brown; epithecium olivaceous, 10 μm thick. Asci 60–75 × 10–12 μm; tholus to 9 μm thick. Ascospores ellipsoidal, (7–)9–16.5(–20) × 5–8 μm. Pycnidia immersed. Conidia 6–10 × 1 μm.
Chemistry: TLC−, all reactions negative.
Similar taxa
It is the only known species of Lecidea in New Zealand to colonise sandy soil.
Substrate
Terricolous, saxicolous
Etymology
ochroleuca: Pale ochre-coloured
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (12 December 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features, and Similar taxa sections copied from Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.