Lynge B 1930. Lichens from Novaya Zemlya. In Holtedahl O. Report of the Scientific Results of the Norwegian Expedition to Novaya Zemlya 1921. Oslo. 1-299.

There is only one plant in my collection, from a chalky rock, but it is most probably the most inconspicuous plant in my collection, and easily overlooked.

Thallus endolithic.  Gonidia: Trentepohlia sp.

Apothecia very minute, diam. 0.2-0.3 mm, dispersed, sessile, convex, immarginate, black, epruinose.  Hypothecium colourless or subcolourless.  Hymenium narrow, 40-45(-50) µ tall.  Paraphyses tightly coherent, thin, apex becoming clavate-thickened, constricted, septate, furcate, obscure: dark brown, sometimes slightly trending towards a violet-scent.  Asci pyriform or saccate, 8-spored.  Spores hyaline, 2-celled, constricted at the middle,  segments often unequal; spores 10-11 X 3-5 µ.

Medulla J ÷, KOH ÷, hymenium J soon intensely wine-coloured.

The gonidia are 12-16 µ in diam., they have a thick cell wall, often a yellowish content and they are arranged in chains of a few links (2-3).  Their content is often divided into numerous small rounded balls (sporulation?).  I would refer these gonidia to Trentepohlia, not to Cystococcus; if that is correct, the plant is a Catinaria and not a Catillaria.

The dark apical articuli of the paraphyses are often seen detached.  The paraphyses are so coherent that it is necessary to stain them: clear up with KOH, remove the KOH with water, stain with zink-chloriodide.