Pycnora praestabilis  

Thallus crustose, areolate, the areoles to 1.0(-1.5) mm diam. Upper side pale grey to yellowish brown, dull. Cortex up to 15 µm thick, stainable layer thin or absent. Soredia absent.

Anamorph: conidiomata pycnidia, normally abundant, to 0.3 mm diam, attached to the areoles or apparently directly to the substrate. Conidiomatal wall dirty green, K-, N+ violet. Conidia 3-5.5 x I.5--2.5 µm, average length/width ratio I.9-2.7, ellipsoidal.

Teleomorph: ascomata apothecial, not common, to 0.8(-1.1) mm diam, attached to the areolae or apparently directly to the substrate, persistently flat and marginate, black, not pruinose. Disc rarely becoming somewhat gyrose, margin becoming slightly flexuose. Excipulum composed of entirely agglutinated, ± thin-walled hyphae with ellipsoidal to shortly cylindrical lumina; inner part and rim blackish brown ('carbonized'), most densely pigmented in the rim, the pigment partly dissolving in K with a brown or violet effusion. Hypothecium brown. Epithecium green, containing a blackish brown, amorphous substance that dissolves in K with a violet effusion, N + violet. Hymenium 55-70 µm deep. Interascal tissue of paraphyses, the apical cells not distinctly thickened or pigmented. Asci clavate, without an apical cap; tholus well developed, I+ blue and KI+ deep blue, with a parietal I+ blue and KI+ deep blue area. Ascospores 7-11.5 x 3-4.5 µm, ellipsoidal, aseptate.

Chemistry: contains alectorialic acid and an unknown compound. Cortex and medulla PD+ yellow, K+ yellow, C+ red, KC+ red, UV-.