Pannaria athroophylla
Family
Pannariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Squamulose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; irregularly branched marginal lobes; numerous, ascending phyllidia in central parts (often covering the whole thallus); large apothecia with densely phyllidiate margins; and a chemistry including leprolomin.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Lake Rotoehu, Lake Rotoiti), Wellington (Whakapapa, Waikanae, Wellington). South Island: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra.), Westland (Greymouth, Taramakau River), Canterbury (Waihi Gorge), Otago (Stoneburn, Trotter’s Gorge, Mt Watkin, Silver Peaks, Mt Cargill, Flagstaff, Otakou Bush, Maungatua, Taieri Mouth, Akatore, Kaka Point), Southland (Resolution I., Goose Cove, Dusky Sound, Cascade Creek, Grove Bush, Forest Hill, Onawe Bush near Bluff). Stewart Island: (Fern Gully, Anchorage I., Port Pegasus). Chatham Islands. Auckland Islands: (Terror Cove). Campbell Island: (Tucker Cove).
Habitat
On bark of trees and shrubs in forest and scrub on the following phorophytes: Dracophyllum, Griselinia littoralis, Podocarpus laetus, Rubus australis. Also on rocks in humid, lowland forest habitats.
Detailed description
Thallus squamulose, in neat rosettes, to 5 cm diam., or spreading irregularly, 10-15 cm diam., very closely attached to substrate, small foliose-lobate at margins. Lobes short to medium, 5-12 mm long and 1-4 mm wide, incised, margins becoming phyllidiate, on a visible prothallus, densely squamulose-phyllidiate centrally, often forming a diffract-areolate crust. Phyllidia very small, finely raised, fragile, ascending, dorsiventral or lobulate-subcoralloid, naked or white- tomentose on lower surface, densely imbricate. Upper surface smooth, matt, sometimes shining, without tomentum, lettuce-green when wet, pale green or grey-green when dry becoming uniformly yellow-brown on storage. Cephalodia laminal or marginal, sparse, pale blue-grey, flattened or globose-granular to placodioid or rosette-shaped. Lower surface dark brown to black centrally, buff or brown at margins, ± densely rhizinate with a narrow, naked, marginal zone. Rhizines black or pale greyish, squarrose, to 3 mm long, rarely to 5 mm long, often projecting beyond lobe margins as a byssoid prothallus. Apothecia 1-3 mm diam., round to irregular, ± central, disc pale yellow-brown to red- brown or brown-black, undulate, matt, epruinose, thalline margin, squamulose, squamules often spreading onto disc, disc not gyrose-etched or contorted, margins crenate-striate or ± entire. Ascospores mainly subglobose, 13-15-12-14 µm or ellipsoid and halonate 12-20 × 10-14 µm.
Chemistry: Leprolomin, vicanicin and isovicanicin. Two chemodemes are present: (1) leprolomin and vicanicin (the most common); (2) leprolomin and isovicanicin.
Substrate
Corticolous, rarely saxicolous.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (17 May 2021). Information in the Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from 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.