Notes on Polysporina Vezda, with a description of a new species from Tasmania

The new species, Polysporina terricola Kantvilas from south-eastern Tasmani a, is described and compared to other species in the genus. It is well-char acterized by a range of morphological, anatomical and ecological characters , especially by the presence of oil paraphyses and oil droplets in the hyme nium, features unknown in other members of the genus. Species of Polysporin a are best separated by the following characters: size and morphology of th e apothecia, size of ascospores, thickness of paraphyses and height of the hymenium. The combinations P. ferruginea (Lettau) M. Steiner and P. pusilla (Anzi) M. Steiner are validated. A key to the taxa studied is provided. (C ) 1998 The British Lichen Society.