Hypotrachyna sorocheila
Synonyms
Cetrariastrum sorocheilum, Everniastrum sorocheilum, Parmelia sorocheila
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 strap-like lobes, which are frequently subcanaliculate; the long, simple or dichotomously branched black cilia; and salazinic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Whangarei), South Auckland (King Country) to Wellington. South Island: Nelson to Southland. Stewart Island. Auckland Islands. Antarctica.
Known also from North, Central, and South America, Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Habitat
A characteristic twig species often on divaricating shrubs in successional habitats, but also known from bark of exotic trees in plantations (e.g. on the trunks of Nothofagus menziesii [Lophozonia menziesii] in humid habitats as at Hanmer Forest). Generally in shaded, humid habitats. Often associated with species of Physcia, Ramalina and Teloschistes. Still poorly collected.
Detailed description
Thallus loosely attached, to 10 cm diam., straggling, corticolous rarely saxicolous. Lobes narrow (4-8 mm wide), dichotomously branching, strap-shaped, subcanaliculate, margins ciliate, cilia conspicuous, black, long, dichotomously branched. Upper surface greyish-green, smooth, matt, often finely maculate (×10 lens), sorediate at apices, soredia fine, floury, white, becoming grey-black with age, in terminal or subterminal, hooded or revolute soralia. Lower surface shining, black, wrinkled, pale brown towards apices, ± distinctly channelled. Rhizines sparse, black, simple to squarrosely branched. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow→red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, salazinic acid (major), consalazinic acid and protolichesterinic acid.Thallus K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Salazinic and atranorin.
Substrate
Corticolous (twigs, bark)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (14 August 2022). 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 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.