Phacopsis oxyspora
Synonyms
Abrothallus oxysporus, Nesolechia oxyspora
Family
Lecanoraceae
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 lichenicolous habit; the colourless to pale-brownish hypothecium; and the ellipsoidal to citriform ascospores without attenauted apices, (13–)16–18(–21) × (5–)5.5–6.5(–7) μm.
Distribution
South Island: Otago (Wye Valley, Dunedin). Recently collected on the Port Hills, Christchurch (Glenny 2021).
Collected in 1861 by William Lauder Lindsay from Parmelia saxatilis in the Dunedin area. Re-collected by Barbara Polly (1996) from Austroparmelina labrosa in the Wye Valley.
Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Asia, Greenland, North America, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Kenya, China and Australia.
Habitat
Grows on other lichens. Recorded hosts: Parmelia saxatilis, Austroparmelina labrosa. Probably widespread on species of Parmeliaceae s. lat.
Detailed description
Lichenicolous, growing on thalli of Parmelia saxatilis, Austroparmelina labrosa, cecidogenous. Apothecia immersed to semi-immersed, becoming erumpent, 0.2–0.3(–0.45) mm diam., rounded, crowded or confluent; disc plane to convex, brown to dark-brown, matt to shining; margins indistinct. Exciple 10–30(–40) μm thick, pale-brown to hyaline of ±isodiametric cells. Hypothecium hyaline to pale-brownish 30–120 μm thick, I+ violet at base. Hymenium hyaline to pale-brownish 55–65 μm tall. Paraphyses septate, 2–3 μm thick, apical cells slightly swollen with pale-brown to brown caps. Asci 45–55 × 14–19 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal to citriform, ends attentuate, oil droplets present, spore walls smooth, (13–)16–18(–21) × 5–6.5(–7) μm. Pycnidia globose, immersed. Conidia 5.5–6 × 0.5–1 μm.
Substrate
Lichenicolous (grows on other lichens)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (18 July 2023). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features 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.
Glenny D. 2021: iNaturalist observation. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/110121833. Date accessed: 18 July 2023.