Usnea nidifica
Synonyms
Usnea societatis
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: SO, Sp
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; the robust, long (10–40 cm), pendent branches with anisotomic-dichotomous branching; the waxy, continuous subfaveolate to faveolate surface, that is here and there sorediate (soredia arising from small, fleck-like pseudocyphellae and becoming isidiate); and norstictic and salazinic acids as major secondary compounds.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Is, Radar Bush, Moturoa I., Poor Knights Is, Great Barrier I., Kawau I.), South Auckland (Whale I.).
Pantropical. Known also from Mauritius, India, Malaysia, Java, the Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Norfolk I., Fiji, Tahiti, and Australia.
Habitat
A northern coastal species on Metrosideros excelsa and other coastal trees and shrubs, rarely on rocks.
Detailed description
Thallus pendulous, to 40 cm long, rigid, uniformly pale yellowish-green, smooth, slightly shining, branching sympodial, secondary branches flaccid, pendulous. Branches 1-5 mm wide at base, attenuate towards apices, irregularly articulate-cracked, terete, slightly wrinkled, subfaveolate, smooth, sorediate, without papillae. Soredia becoming isidiate, spinulose, arising from small, fleck-like pseudocyphellae.
Chemistry: Medulla K+ yellow→red; containing norstictic, salazinic (tr.), protocetraric and usnic acids.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 August 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985, 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.