Xanthoparmelia verrucella
Synonyms
Parmelia verrucella Essl., Neofuscelia verrucella (Essl.) Essl.
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 loosely to moderately adnate thallus, the black lower surface, the cylindrical isidia, and divaricatic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands), Auckland (Rangitoto Island). South Island: Otago (Alexandra, Port Chalmers).
Known also from South Africa and Australia.
Habitat
Coastal and inland, on rock
Detailed description
Thallus appressed to somewhat pulvinate, moderately to loosely adnate, 1.5-6 cm diam. saxicolous or terricolous. Lobes 0.5-2.5 mm broad, ± flat, short and rounded to elongate, contiguous to imbricate or entangled. Upper surface yellowish-brown to dark olive-brown or red-brown, smooth throughout or weakly pitted and wrinkled in part, dull throughout or shining at apices, occasionally lightly pruinose at apices, sparsely to densely isidiate. Isidia cylindrical, simple or branched, 0.1 mm tall. Lower surface black, ± smooth and dull, moderately to sparsely rhizinate. Rhizines concolorous with lower surface, to 0.4 mm long. Apothecia uncommon, sessile to short-pedicellate, concave to plane, to 2 mm diam., margins entire to papillate or sparsely isidiate. Ascospores broadly ellipsoid 8-9 × 5-6 µm. Pycnidia rare.
Chemistry: Cortex K−, KNO3+ dark blue-green; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV−; containing divaricatic acid (major) and ±stenosporic acid (tr.).
Similar taxa
Similar to Xanthoparmelia loxodella but differs in medullary chemistry (X. loxodella has glomelliferic and glomellic acids). Both taxa are sympatric in Australasia but X. loxodella is apparently more common.
Substrate
Saxicolous, lignicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (11 January 2024). 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.