TYPE. CUBA. C. Wright 155 (US 00068352, lectotype).

Description. Life form: lichenized fungus.

Thallus crustose, continuous, shiny greenish or greenish brown, corticate; vegetative diaspores absent. Photobiont trentepohlioid alga. Ascomata lirellae, immersed, straight, simple, 0.5-1.5 x 0.2 mm; disk visible. Exciple open, labia pale; hymenium not inspersed, 80-100 µm; paraphyses ~1.5 µm, tips slightly thickened. Asci 8-spored; ascospores hyaline, 4-celled, 10-13 × 5-6 µm.

Chemistry. No substances detected by TLC.

Substrate and Habitat. Corticolous on hardwood trees.

Distribution. Coastal East Africa (Kenya), southeastern North America and Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico); in North Carolina found in the Coastal Plain ecoregion.

Literature

Harris, R.C. (1995) More Florida Lichens. Including the 10¢ Tour of the Pyrenolichens. Published by the Author, Bronx, N.Y. 192 pp (treated as Graphina subnitidula).

Lendemer, J.C. & R.C. Harris. (2014) Seven new species of Graphidaceae (Lichenized Ascomycetes) from the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America. Phytotaxa 189(1): 153–175.

Staiger B. (2002) Die Flechtenfamilie Graphidaceae. Studien in Richtung einer natürlicheren Gliederung. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 85: 1–526.

Tuckerman, E. (1888) A synopsis of the North American lichens. Part. II. Comprising the Lecideacei, and (in part) the Graphidacei. New Bedford, Mass. 176 pp (original description as Graphis subnitidula).

Wirth, M. & M.E. Hale, Jr. (1978) Morden-Smithsonian Expedition to Dominica: the lichens (Graphidaceae). Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 40: 1-64 (description as Graphina subnitidula).