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.
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.