Pseudocyphellaria gretae
Family
Peltigeraceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
Brief description
Characterised by irregular rosettes formed of broadly rounded to sublinear lobes with entire to incised, crenulate, and often densely isidiate margins; a densely to sparsely tomentose upper surface, often with granular to coralloid tomentose isidia spreading as a thick, diffract crust; a white medulla; a green photobiont; a densely tomentose lower surface with minute, scattered white to pale-yellow pseudocyphellae; and no detectable chemistry.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Raglan) to Cook Strait. South Island: Nelson to Southland, both E and W of the Main Divide. Stewart Island: (Oban to Port Pegasus).
Habitat
An epiphyte of trees and shrubs in forest and scrub, in moist, cool, humid habitats, s.l. to 1200 m.
Detailed description
Thallus ± orbicular or in irregular rosettes, 5-10(-18) cm wide, ± loosely attached. Lobes numerous, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, 1-2 cm long, ± convex, thin and rather delicate in texture, overlapping or at least marginally contiguous except for apices, margins crenate-incised, isidiate, uneven, often sinuous or subascendent. Upper surface bright lettuce-green when wet, pale grey-green, buff to yellowish-olive or pinkish when dry, often becoming dark red-brown on storage, apices slightly darkened, brownish ± uniformly to irregularly tomentose, tomentum, white, silky rather delicate and often thin and abraded in older parts, cortex below tomentum smooth to scabrid and ± reticulate-cracked, undulate, wrinkled, never faveolate, isidiate, without soredia, maculae or pseudocyphellae. Isidia small, delicate, granular, flattened, coralloid, marginal, occasionally and rarely laminal in older parts. Medulla white. Photobiont green. Lower surface pale, whitish to pale pinkish-tan centrally, uniformly white- tomentose to margins, tomentum, soft, silky rather short. Pseudocyphellae white, scattered to numerous, tubercular, minute, inapparent, 0.4-0.8 mm diam., central decorticate area very small. Cephalodia internal, often visible as distinct, ± hemispherical swellings on both upper and lower surfaces. Apothecia very rare, sessile to subpedicellate 0.5-2.0 mm diam., disc concave to plane, dark red-brown, shining, epruinose, margins entire, pale flesh-coloured, tomentose. Ascospores biseriate, 1-3-septate, brown, ellipsoid with pointed ends, 25.5-29 × 10.2-13.6 µm.
Chemistry: TLC−, all reactions negative.
Similar taxa
It is distinguished from Pseudocyphellaria pubescens by the marginal isidia, the epruinose apothecial discs which are red-brown and not black, by the white pseudocyphellae and by the chemistry (P. pubescens has a complex chemistry).
Substrate
Corticolous (trees)
Etymology
gretae: Named in honour of Greta Du Rietz who collected lichens widely throughout New Zealand in 1926-27 with her husband G. Einar Du Rietz. Greta Du Rietz prepared all of the plant collections, took the photographs on their expedition, and made the botanical drawings to illustrate Einar Du Rietz's accounts of New Zealand plants. She maintained an active interest in lichens, especially those of New Zealand and in the preparation of this flora until her death in 1981.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (3 March 2021). 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.