Type. “Habitat in India Occid. supra corticem Crotonis Cascarillae.” [Habitat in West Indies on bark of Croton elutaria] (Acharis 1814); H H-ACH 0837B, lectotype; S S-Fungi L675, isolectotype.

Description. Lichenized fungus. Thallus crustose, smooth, continuous, olive green, sometimes with white dots (pseucocyphellae), corticate; vegetative diaspores absent; photobiont Trentepohlia.

Ascomata perithecia, black, initially immersed, subglobose, 0.5-1.5 mm diam; ostiole apical; wall with abundant crystals; hymenium not inspersed with oil droplets; hymenial gel IKl + pale orange; paraphyses mostly unbranched. Asci 8-spored. Ascospores colorless to brown, ellipsoid, muriform, locules large, often angular, 27.5–52.5 × 12.5–15.0 μm. Pycnidia not reported.

Chemistry. UV-; Secondary metabolites not detected.

Substrate and Habitat. On bark on hardwood trees in shaded forests.

Distribution. Southeastern North America, Caribbean, New Zealand; in North Carolina fount throughout.

Literature

Acharius, E. (1814) Synopsis methodica lichenum, sistens omnes hujus ordinis naturalis detectas plantas, quas, secundum genera, species et varietates disposuit, characteribus et differentiis emendatis definivit, nec non synonymis et observationibus selectis illustravit auctor. Lund. 392 pp (original description).

Harris, R.C. (1989) A sketch of the family Pyrenulaceae (Melanommatales) in eastern North America. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 49: 74-107.

Lendemer, J.C. & R.C. Harris. (2016) Studies in Lichens and Lichenicolous Fungi – No. 20: Further notes on species from the eastern North America. Opuscula Philolichenum 15: 105-131.

Marshall, A.J., D.J. Blanchon, A. Aptroot and P.J. de Lange. (2020) Five new records of Pyrenula (Pyrenulaceae) for New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 58(1): 48-61.