Xanthoparmelia substrigosa
Synonyms
Parmelia substrigosa
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the saxicolous/terricolous habit; the loosely adnate thallus; broadly sinuous lobe margins; a pale-brown to dark brown-black lower surface with very dense, brush-like simple to dichotomously branched rhizines; and norstictic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: Hawke’s Bay (Taradale, near Napier). South Island: Marlborough (Wairau River mouth, Saxton Pass), Canterbury (Waipara, Wakari, Amberley, Sockburn, Harewood near Christchurch, Gebbie’s Pass, Banks Peninsula, Duvauchelle), Otago (Wanaka, Manorburn Reservoir Alexandra, Otematapaio River, Kyeburn).
Australasian. Known also from upland areas of southern and eastern Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
On rocks and soil in grassland.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose, lobate, loosely or ± evenly attached, to 10 cm diam. Lobes variable, linear-elongate, 3-8 mm wide, variously incised and divided, often imbricate, margins entire or slightly notched or incised, black, shining, occasionally eroded by amphipods, not ascending at apices. Upper surface yellowish-green, smooth, shining at margins, wrinkled, cracked centrally, isidia, maculae and soredia absent. Lower surface brown or tan, or whitish, darker centrally, wrinkled, papillate, often shining, ± densely rhizinate. Rhizines brown to brown-black or reddish-brown, simple, with ± squarrose, anchoring tufts at apices. Apothecia occasional to frequent, subpedicellate, to 12 mm diam., disc red-brown, concave to plane, imperforate, margins entire or crenulate, concolorous with thallus, thalline exciple smooth. Pycnidia common in fertile plants, often dense centrally, clustered, black, pustular.
Chemistry: Cortex K−; medulla K+ yellow→red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange; containing norstictic acid (major), connorstictic, ±salazinic, ±consalazinic and usnic acids.
Similar taxa
Xanthoparmelia substrigosa is distinguished from X. tasmanica chemically, and by the brown or pale lower surface, the squarrose tufts anchoring the rhizines to the substrate (?possibly important in soil consolidation in some areas), and by the wrinkled upper surface often with pustular, papillate pycnidia.
Substrate
Saxicolous, terricolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (16 June 2023). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features, and Similar taxa 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.