Pseudocyphellaria fimbriata
Family
Peltigeraceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by linear-elongate, complexly dissected lobes with markedly phyllidiate margins; phyllidia with glistening white marginal hairs; a coriaceous, minutely scabrid-areolate upper surface; a white medulla; a green photobiont; a pale red-brown to dark-brown velvety tomentose lower surface with numerous, prominent white pseudocyphellae; and a two-hopane chemistry.
Distribution
North Island: Gisborne (Mt Hikurangi), Taranaki (Mt Taranaki), Wellington (Waipakahi Valley, Kaimanawa Range, Ruahine Range. South Island: Nelson to Fiordland. Close to or west of the Main Divide and on the east coast from Banks Peninsula to Invercargill, s.l. to 1,500 m.
Habitat
Mainly a rainforest species, constantly found in areas of high rainfall but with spasmodic occurrences in drier areas. In the northern part of its range it occurs on exposed rocks in alpine scrub, but elsewhere grows on mossy stumps and most commonly on tree trunks in beech forest and especially at or near forest margins. It may be parasitised by the lichenicolous fungus Arthonia santessoniana.
Detailed description
Thallus rather loosely attached, orbicular to spreading, to 25 cm diam. Lobes dissected, irregularly elongate-laciniate, branching subdichotomous to irregular or subimbricate, margins irregular, lacerate-denticulate, white-pubescent, subascendent, ± copiously phyllidiate. Upper surface bright lettuce-green when wet, yellowish-grey or olivaceous or brownish or reddish when dry, smooth, coriaceous to somewhat scabrid-areolate, even or weakly undulate, without soredia, maculae or pseudocyphellae. Phyllidia mainly marginal occasionally laminal, ± palmately divided, flattened, dorsiventral, upper surface as in main lobes, ± finely white-pubescent, especially at apices. Medulla white, 350 µm thick, rather loose. Photobiont green, 10-13.5 µm diam., in a rather irregular layer, 100-150 µm thick. Apothecia rather sparse, sessile, marginal or submarginal, often associated with phyllidia, to 6 mm diam., disc red-brown to dark brown, smooth, matt, epruinose, with a thick, persistent, raised, crenulate-scabrid margin, thalline exciple massive, verucose-areolate, red-brown. Ascospores 1-septate, brown, fusiform-ellipsoid, 20-25 × 8-11 µm.
Chemistry: 7β-acetoxyhopane-22-ol, hopane-7β, 22-diol (tr.), hopane-15α,22-diol.
Similar taxa
It is distinguished from P. coriacea by the marginal phyllidia and from P. fimbriatoides by the green photobiont and rather broader spores.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (1 May 2022). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985) & Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.