Hypotrachyna sinuosa
Synonyms
Lichen sinuosus Sm., Parmelia sinuosa (Sm.) Ach.
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the narrow, yellow-green, dichotomously branching lobes with capitate soralia; and salazinic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: Northland to Wellington. South Island: Nelson to Fiordland. Stewart Island. Campbell Island.
Widespread on all continents except Antarctica.
Habitat
Widely distributed in lowland and/or coastal habitats of high humidity and moderate shade. A common epiphyte of divaricating shrubs, especially Discaria toumatou. A good indicator of humid habitats.
Detailed description
Thallus lobate, rather small, 2-7 cm diam., loosely attached, corticolous, rarely saxicolous. Lobes narrow, 2-3 mm wide, dichotomously branched, subascendant apically, margins entire, black and shining, axils sinuous. Upper surface yellowish-green (usnic acid), smooth, shining, without maculae or isidia, sorediate. Soralia terminal or subterminal, capitate, often recurved, soredia fine, powdery, pale yellowish at first, becoming blackened with age. Lower surface black, shining, minutely wrinkled, often pale brown at tips, densely rhizinate. Rhizines black, long, squarrosely branched, extending beyond lobe margins in a dense mat. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K−, KC+ yellow, UV−; medulla K+ yellow-red, C−, Pd−, UV−; containing usnic acid, salazinic acid (major), consalazinic acid (minor) and ±norstictic acid (tr.)
Substrate
Corticolous, rarely saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 December 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985, 2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 p.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 p.