Cladonia southlandica
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
Characterised by the pale yellowish cortex; and the presence of usnic and fumarprotocetraric acids.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Awanui, Kaitaia, Karikari Peninsula), South Auckland (Te Moehau Coromandel Peninsula). South Island: Nelson (Lead Hills, Mt Technical), Westland (Kelly Range, near Ross), Canterbury (Temple Basin Arthur’s Pass, Craigieburn River), Otago (Rees Valley), Southland (Pukerau, Awarua Bay). Stewart Island: (Glory Cove, Mt Allen, Tin Range, Fraser Peaks, Fright Cove Port Pegasus).
Also in Australia.
Habitat
In alpine-subalpine habitats on peat soils amongst mounds of Sphagnum, rarely on decaying wood.
Detailed description
Primary squamules persistent or disappearing, 0.5-2 mm long, crenate-incised, margins ± lobulate, brown-yellow, smooth above, whitish arachnoid below. Podetia growing from margins and upper surface of primary squamules, 3 cm tall, 1-1.5 mm diam., at base, expanding upwards, subcylindrical, rather crowded, simple to irregularly dichotomously branched, with or without cups, cups regular, oblique or deformed, proliferating from margins, covered with a concave or funnel-shaped membrane. Cortex pale yellowish, brown-black at base, impellucid, decorticate, surface rather uneven, imperforate or with occasional perforations or ± areolate, areolae smooth, raised, soredia and squamules absent, chondroid layer smooth, not reticulate. Apothecia minute, terminal, pale brown, 0.2-1.0 mm diam., convex, simple or ± confluent, on marginal proliferations of cups. Pycnidia bottle-shaped, 0.1 mm diam., at tips of fertile podetia below apothecia and on surface of primary squamules, ostiole black-rimmed, gaping.
Chemistry: Cortex K−, KC+ yellow, Pd+ red; containing usnic acid and fumarprotocetraric acid.
Similar taxa
Thalli are more robust than those of C. capitellata.
Substrate
Terricolous, rarely on decaying wood
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (8 April 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.