Strigula novae-zelandiae

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Strigula novae-zelandiae
Strigula novae-zelandiae 99143750.jpg
Strigula novae-zelandiae on a Beilschmiedia tarairi leaf
Status NZTCS NU.svg
Naturally Uncommon (NZ TCS) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Dothideomycetes
Order: Strigulales
Family: Strigulaceae
Genus: Strigula
Species:
S. novae-zelandiae
Binomial name
Strigula novae-zelandiae
(Nag Raj) Sérus., 1998
Synonyms [2]
  • Discosiella novae-zelandiaeNag Raj

Strigula novae-zelandiae is a species of foliicolous lichenised fungi in the family Strigulaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, found northwards from the northern Waikato Region, and primarily grows on taraire leaves.

Contents

Description

Strigula novae-zelandiae is typically pale green to ash green in colour, turning to white when dead. It has a smooth or slightly irregular surface and does not have a prothallus. It can be distinguished from other Strigula species in New Zealand due to the presence of polarilocular spores, and from Strigula oleistrata due to the lack of almost circular thalli or perithecia in Strigula novae-zelandiae. [3]

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described as a new species by Tumkur R. Nag Raj in 1982, who used the name Discosiella novae-zelandiae. [4] The holotype was collected from Kirk's Bush in Papakura, Auckland in 1973. [4] The species was recombined by Emmanuël Sérusiaux in 1998, and moved to the genus Strigula. [5] In 2019, the visually similar species Strigula oleistrata was segregated from Strigula novae-zelandiae and described as a new species, based on phylogenetic analysis and morphological differences. [3] The species epithet refers to New Zealand. [6]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to New Zealand, currently only known to occur in New Zealand as far south as the northern Waikato Region. It is found primarily in taraire-dominated forests, and is foliicolous, growing on the leaves of taraire, tawa and titoki trees. [3]

References

  1. "Assessment Details for Strigula novae-zelandiae (Nag Raj) Sérus". New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) Department of Conservation (New Zealand) . 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  2. "Strigula novae-zelandiae". MYCOBANK Database. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Ford, Marley; Blanchon, Dan J.; Veale, Andrew; Doyle, Erin J.; Rolfe, Jeremy R.; de Lange, Peter J. (25 November 2019). "Hidden in plain sight—a new Strigula species segregated from Strigula novae-zelandiae (Lichenized Ascomycota: Strigulaceae)". Phytotaxa . 424 (5): 267–281. doi:10.11646/PHYTOTAXA.424.5.1. ISSN   1179-3155. Wikidata   Q87000275.
  4. 1 2 Nag Raj, T. R. (1 December 1981). "Genera coelomycetum. XIX. Discosiella, a lichenized mycobiont". Canadian Journal of Botany (in Italian). 59 (12): 2519–2533. doi:10.1139/B81-302. ISSN   0008-4026. Wikidata   Q99868798.
  5. Sérusiaux, Emmanuël (1998). "Further Observations on the Lichen Genus Strigula in New Zealand". The Bryologist . 101 (1): 147. doi:10.2307/3244088. ISSN   0007-2745. JSTOR   3244088. Wikidata   Q99871718.
  6. "Strigula novae-zelandiae". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 15 July 2025.