Hypotrachyna osseoalba
Common name
Wake turbulence
Synonyms
Parmelia osseoalba Vain., Parmelia formosana Zahlbr., Hypotrachyna formosana (Zahlbr.) Hale
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous/saxicolous habit; its cortical pustules (fluorescing strongly golden yellow in UV); sublinear lobes; dichotomously branched rhizines; and cortical lichexanthone (UV+ yellow).
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands, Kaiwaka, Russell), South Auckland (Mangaotaki Valley near Pio Pio), Wellington (Pongaroa).
Known also from subtropical and temperate regions, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Australia.
Habitat
Mainly on coastal rocks and on bark of trees and shrubs in northern districts. Still poorly known in New Zealand.
Detailed description
Thallus lobate, closely attached, to 4 cm diam., corticolous and saxicolous. Lobes sublinear, crowded, 1-3 mm wide, to 20 mm long subdichotomously branched, apices incised, margins entire, axils sinuous. Upper surface smooth, pale greenish-grey, subpruinose at margins, becoming cracked centrally, often appearing pinkish, sorediate. Soredia in coarse, erumpent, laminal pustules or coralloid clusters, appearing glomerulate and somewhat isidiate. Lower surface black, densely rhizinate. Rhizines black, dichotomously branched. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K−, UV+ yellow; medulla K+ reddish, C−, Pd−; containing lichexanthone (major), colensoic acid, 4-O-methylphysodic acid, lividic acid (major), physodic acid and oxyphysodic acid.
Similar taxa
Similar to many other parmeliod lichens but can be easily distinguished by the UV+ gold reaction.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (6 February 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features 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.