Lecanora galactiniza
Common name
galaxy lichen
Family
Lecanoraceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the saxicolous habit and the crowded, red-brown apothecia.
Distribution
North Island: Auckland (Cornwall Park). South Island: Canterbury (Lowry Peaks Range, Port Hills, Banks Peninsula, Mt Peel, Rangitata Valley), Otago (Lake Wanaka, near Alexandra, Raggedy Range, Mitchell’s Cottage, Symes Road).
Known also from North and South America, South Africa and Australia.
Habitat
On siliceous rocks in rather dry, semi-arid habitats, occasionally on lakeside rocks (Wanaka). Associating with yellow and brown species of Acarospora, Candelariella vitellina, Caloplaca amylacea, Parmelia sulcata, Physcia caesia, Teloschistes velifer and species of Xanthoparmelia (brown forms).
Detailed description
Thallus crustose, uniform, closely attached, areolate to subsquamulose, sometimes with protruding marginal lobes though margins generally effigurate to indistinct, yellow-white to yellow-grey, sometimes rather glossy, without pruina. Apothecia immersed at first becoming sessile, 0.4–1.2 mm diam. Thalline margin concolorous with thallus, thin, even, crenulate to verrucose; disc pale to dark red-brown, intensely red-brown to orange-red when moist, not pruinose. Amphithecium with large crystals, not dissolving in K (pulicaris-type). Epithecium 10–15 μm thick, reddish brown, the pigment not dissolving in K, with many small crystals (pulicaris-type). Hymenium colourless, 55–75 μm tall. Asci clavate, 45–65 × 10–16 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 8–13 × 5–8 μm.
Chemistry: Thallus and apothecial margins: K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow-orange; containing atranorin (major), ±chloroatranorin (minor).
Similar taxa
Could be confused with Lecanora pseudistera, which also has red-brown apothecia and occurs on rocks. The epithecium of L. galactiniza has small crystals (Lecanora pseudistera has large crystals); and atranorin in the medulla (L. pseudistera has atranorin and the 2-O-methylperlatolic acid chemosyndrome). Differences between L. galactiniza and the related L. pseudistera (q.v.), are discussed in detail by Lumbsch (1994).
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (3 August 2022). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features, Similar Taxa and Extra information sections copied from Galloway (2007).
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.
Lumbsch, H.T. 1994: Die Lecanora subfusca-Gruppe in Australasien. Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory 77: 1-175.