Cladonia murrayi
Family
Cladoniaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
A very characteristic red-fruited species with conspicuous, confluent-conglomerate apothecia and long, well-developed basal squamules.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Puketi Forest), Wellington (Ruahine Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Cobb Ridge), Westland (Great Unknown tarns Barlow River), Canterbury (Arthur’s Pass). Otago (Forgotten River, Olivine Ledge, Key Summit, North Col, French Ridge, West Matukituki Valley, Kakanui Mts, Swampy Summit, Dunedin, Blue Mts), Southland (Cascade Creek, Mt Burns, Mt George). Stewart Island: (Mt Anglem, Fright Cove Port Pegasus). Campbell Island: (Lyall Ridge, Beeman Hill).
Also in Tasmania.
Habitat
In subalpine or alpine peat bogs, fellfield, on rotting logs at lower elevations, s.l. to 1500 m.
Detailed description
Primary squamules persistent 2-5 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, erect, palmately and pinnately divided, margins lobate-incised or ± nodular, often in dense cushions 4-10 cm diam., dying at base, upper surface flat or convex, scabrid-areolate or smooth, glaucescent or olive-green or grey-green or yellowish-green, minutely white-pubescent or pruinose towards apices. Lower surface arachnoid, white, yellowish-brown or black at base, not sorediate. Podetia 5-25(-30) mm tall, 1.5-3 mm diam., subcylindrical, arising from surface of primary squamules, decorticate below, partly corticate above, granular or squamulose, grey-green or glaucescent, yellow-brown or blackened at base, without soredia or isidia. Cortex discontinuous, squamulose. Apothecia conspicuous, terminal, globular to often confluent-compound, red above, brownish at base, 0.5-4.0 mm diam., sometimes single, often aggregated.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow; containing thamnolic and decarboxythamnolic acids, ±skyrin (rhodophyscin).
Similar taxa
It is distinguished from C. ustulata by the green scyphi and the absence of usnic acid.
Substrate
Terricolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (11 September 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa 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.