Cladonia rigida
Synonyms
Cladonia squamosula Müll.Arg.
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
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Kaitaia), Auckland (Rangitoto Island), South Auckland (Otamakite Kaimai Ranges, Shoe Island), Wellington (Rimutaka Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Lake Rotoroa, Tophouse), Westland (Aorangi Forest Reserve near Greymouth, Omoeroa Saddle Waiho River, Kaimata), Canterbury (Boyle River, Port Hills, Ahuriri Reserve), Otago (Haast Pass, Swampy Hill, Mihiwaka, Mt Cargill, Dunedin, Blue Mts, Kuriwao), Southland (Cascade Creek, Doubtful Sound, Five Finger Peninsula Dusky Sound, Pukerau, Ben Bolt Hokonui Hills, Awarua Bay). Stewart Island: (Disappointment Cove, Port Pegasus). Auckland Islands: (Enderby Island, Sandy Bay). Campbell Island: (Tucker Cove).
Also known from Australia and Chile.
Habitat
On peaty soil, amongst moss on dead or rotten wood and stumps, also on red beech (Fuscospora fusca) trunks in subalpine and coastal habitats.
Detailed description
Primary squamules small, persistent or disappearing, 3-5 mm diam., subpalmately lobed, imbricate, crowded, margins crenate-incised, olivaceous-greyish above, white below, sometimes ± sorediate. Podetia growing from upper surface of primary squamules, 10-20 mm tall, to 1.5 mm diam., terete, simple or bifurcating, tapering towards apices, cupless. Cortex abundantly, finely to coarsely granular and squamulose, squamules isidioid, corticate below, tips often decorticate, free of granules and squamules, greenish-grey to dark greyish. Apothecia small, peltate, terminal, pale brownish.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow; containing thamnolic acid, ±homosekikaic acid, sekikaic acid (minor) and hyperhomosekikaic acid (tr.) and with barbatic acid in the apothecia.
Similar taxa
Superficially resembles Cladonia ochrochlora but is smaller, not granular-sorediate, and has a different chemistry.
Substrate
Terricolous, corticolous, lignicolous
Etymology
rigida: Rigid
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 December 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.