Characterized by its saxicolous habit, conglomerate apothecia, sordid blue-green K–, N+ violet epihymenium, K+ purple exciple and acicular multiseptate ascospores 32–48 × 2.5–3.5 µm.
Type: Falkland Islands, East Falkland, Cape Pembroke, 51.692279°S, 57.763977°W, 3 m, sloping rocks in upper splash zone, 21 January 2015, Fryday 10818 (MSC—holotype).
Description
Thallus mostly endolithic or between grains of the substrate, except near apothecia where a few areoles may be present, better developed in shaded situations (underside of rocks) where white to hyaline areoles are present; areoles angular, 0.2–0.4 mm across; medulla I–. Photobiont trebouxioid; cells 6–15 µm diam.
Apothecia lecideine, black, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., orbicular but larger apothecia becoming flexuose, usually in groups of 4–5, 0.8–1.0 mm across, rarely single; disc flat to slightly convex; margin thick, 0.05–0.07 mm wide, persistent, barely raised. In section: proper exciple red-brown, K+ purple, well-developed, 70–85 µm wide, composed of radiating hyphae, 4–5 µm wide, cortical cells 8–10 µm diam. Hymenium 70–80 µm high; paraphyses simple, thin, 1.5 µm wide, widening slightly at apex to 4 µm, lax and readily separating in water; epihymenium 5–12 µm high, sordid blue-green K–, N+ violet. Hypothecium pale brown above and composed of vertical hyphae, darker brown below and composed of inflated, randomly orientated hyphae, K–. Asci cylindrical 45–55 ×10–12 µm, Bacidia-type; ascospores acicular, 7-septate, (32–)40.67±4.31(–48) × (2.5–)3.00±0.21(–3.5) µm, l/b ratio (11.14–)13.58±1.36(–16), (n = 12), rounded at upper end with long tapering ‘tail’, not spirally arranged in the ascus.
Conidiomata not observed.
Chemistry. K–, C–, KC–, Pd+(f) brownish; thallus too thin for TLC.
Etymology. Named for its habitat of maritime rocks
Ecology and Distribution. Known only from the Falkland Islands, where it is reported only from maritime rocks at the eastern tip of East Falkland. Associated species: Tephromela lirellina (Darb.) Fryday, Buellia sp., Caloplaca s. lat. sp., Cliostomum sp., Verrucaria sp.