Zwackhia viridis
Synonyms
Graphis involuta, Graphis viridis, Opegrapha viridis
Family
Lecanographaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2021 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Zwackhia viridis was first reported from New Zealand by Marshall & de Lange (2020) who identified it from specimens collected in September 2019 from the trunk of a nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida) growing in Nikau Bush Conservation Area, Rekohu (Chatham Island), Chatham Islands. Subsequent field work on that island (February 2021, June 2021) and Rangihaute (Pitt Island) has so far disclosed Zwackhia only at the original site where it was found, where it is now known from four nikau palms growing close together.
Zwackhia viridis is common in eastern Australia, so it is very unlikely that it is not present on the larger islands of New Zealand. It should be looked for there (and in herbaria where it may have been mislabelled or unidentified). In the interim, a provisional listing of ‘Data Deficient’ is suggested for this species because it is so easily overlooked and even on the Chatham Islands it must be more widespread than the brief surveys for it suggest.
Distribution
Chatham Islands: In the New Zealand region known only from Rekohu (Chatham Island).
Abundant in Eastern Australia. Also recorded in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania (Ertz 2008).
Habitat
On the Chatham Islands, this species has so far only been recorded in shaded sites on the bark of nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida), where it cohabits with Megalaria maculosa (Stirt.) D.J.Galloway, Pyrenula nitidula (Bres.) R.C.Harris and Usnea cf. oncodes (Marshall et al. 2022).
Detailed description
Crustose. Thallus greenish when wet, drying white, UV-, K-. Lirellae short not branched. Excipulum continuous. Subhymenium I-. Hymenial Gel without oil droplets, I+ red, K/I+ blue. Ascus 75 × 62 μm, asci with distinct K/I+ apical blue ring. Ascospores I-, fusiform, 8 per ascus, (12-)15(-17) locular, 42.8 × 6-8 μm, locules tabular.
Substrate
Corticolous (bark of phorophyte: nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida))
Etymology
viridis: From the Latin viridis ‘green’
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (21 July 2021). Description adapted from Ertz (2008) and observations on specimens collected from Rekohu (Chatham Island) by Peter J. de Lange.
References and further reading
Ertz D. 2008: Revision of the corticolous Opegrapha species from the Palaeotropics. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 102. 176 pp.
Marshall A.J.; de Lange P.J. 2020: First record of Zwackhia viridis (Lecanographaceae) from the Chatham Islands. Trilepidea 201: 6-8.
Marshall A.J., Blanchon D.J., Aptroot A., Lücking R., de Lange P.J. 2022: Five new additions to the lichenized mycobiota of the Aotearoa / New Zealand archipelago. Ukrainian Botanical Journal 79(3): 130-141.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Zwackhia viridis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/zwackhia-viridis/ (Date website was queried)