Cladonia darwinii
Biostatus
Native
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Category
Lichen
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Lichen substrates
Corticolous (bark, wood), Terricolous (soil)
Substrate details
Corticolous, terricolous
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Cladonia anomaea, Cladonia ramulosa sensu Malcolm, W.M.; Galloway, D.J. (1997)
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
Etymology
darwinii: This species is named for the great evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin, whose understanding of variation as an engine of evolution was central to his model of descent with modification. Darwin was convinced of the importance of variation, but he was unable to pinpoint the mechanisms by which it arose and was maintained in populations. Variability and its role in evolution are more completely understood at present, but variability in Cladonia lichens, in which sexual reproduction is poorly understood, and in which asexual reproduction is preponderant, remains a difficult question. Perceived morphological variability and misinterpretations of superficial similarity, evidenced by the many names under which this species has been mislabelled, have long been obstacles to understanding the taxonomy of Cladonia.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CLADAR
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.
Hammer S. 2003: Notes on Cladoniaceae in New Zealand. Bryologist 106(3): 410-430.