Degeliella rosulata
Synonyms
Degelia rosulata
Family
Pannariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: SO, Sp
Previous conservation status
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the conspicuous black prothallus extending beyond the edges of the neat, grey-blue to grey, rosette-shaped, tightly attached thallus; and the centrally clustered, reddish to red-brown, conspicuously marginate apothecia with smooth-walled ascospores
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Ngaiotonga, Little Barrier Island), Auckland (Waitakere Ranges), South Auckland Te Morehu Reserve). South Island: Nelson (Kerr Bay, Lake Rotoiti, Denniston Plateau). Stewart Island: (Ulva Island, Port Pegasus, track from Disappointment Cove to Broad Bay). Auckland Islands.
Known also from Tasmania from cool, humid rainforest.
Factsheet author ascribes northern records to the similar taxon Degelia crustata.
Habitat
On bark of coastal forest trees and shrubs, Dracophyllum longifolim, Metrosideros umbellata, Myrsine australis etc. also on Halaocarpus bidwillii.
Detailed description
Thallus rosette-forming, rosettes of coalescing to ±imbricate squamules, to 3 cm wide. Squamules round to irregular (0.1–) 0.3–1 (–3) mm wide, developed on a prominent black or blue-black prothallus with slightly enlarged marginal lobes. Upper surface becoming lobulate centrally, matt, slatey blue-grey when wet, pale-grey to fawn when dry. Apothecia common, ±central on squamules, 0.1–1.5 mm wide; disc flat, red-brown, with prominent paler proper exciple; thalline exciple variously developed, of secondary lobules arising from base of apothecia, forming a coronate structure; hymenium I+ red-brown. Ascospores simple, ellipsoidal, colourless, 10–15 × 5–8 μm.
Chemistry: TLC−, all reactions negative.
Substrate
Corticolous
Etymology
rosulata: Leaves in a rosette
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (14 September 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat and Features sections copied from Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.