Knightiella splachnirima
Synonyms
Baeomyces splachnirima, Baeomyces squamarioides, Icmadophila splachnirima, Knightiella leucocarpa, Knightiella squamarioides, Lobaria leucocarpa, Lobaria splachnirima, Parmelia splachnirima, Physcia splachnirima, Thelidea corrugata, Thelidea splachnirima, Tubercularia squamarioides
Family
Icmadophilaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Squamulose
Current conservation status
2018 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp, TO
Brief description
Characterised by the terricolous habit; the lettuce-green, small-foliose to squamulose thallus; the subpedicellate, scattered, pink apothecia with buff–pruinose, wrinkled–scabrid discs; a pale yellowish hypothecium; 1-septate, ellipsoidal ascospores, 12–15(–18) × 3–5 μm; and thamnolic acid and decarboxythamnolic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
South Island: Nelson (Stockton and Denniston plateaux), Otago (Silver Peaks, Swampy Summit, Maungatua, Black Swamp nr Milton); Southland (Awarua Plain, Longwood Range, Aparima River, Takitimu Mountains, Borland Bog); Stewart Island: (Mt Anglem to Port Pegasus). Auckland Islands. Campbell Island. Chatham Islands.
Australia: also in Tasmania and Victoria.
One of our genuinely rare lichens in the South Island, and of surpassing beauty and elegance when seen fresh in the field when it is happily fruiting. It was first collected in the Chatham Islands (February 2000) by Dr P.N. Johnson, who recorded it from bare peat at 180 m in bracken–Dracophyllum scrub. It is most abundant on Stewart I., but even there it is not especially common, although in the south in open moorland at Port Pegasus close to the Fraser Peaks, it is now more abundant than it was 30 years ago. Colonies on Swampy Summit near Dunedin were close to extinction in the early 1960s, but today are vigorously expanding.
Habitat
On exposed, subalpine peat, in open heathland and in raised peat bogs (McQueen & Wilson 2000), s.l. to 900 m.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose, lobate, ± closely attached, orbicular to spreading to 4 cm diam. Lobes rounded, margins entire or incised, slightly wavy, subascendent. Upper surface smooth, matt or shining, without isidia, pseudocyphellae or soredia. Photobiont green ?Coccomyxa. Medulla white. Lower surface pale, arachnoid. Apothecia laminal, sessile or subpedicellate, disc undulate to plane, pink, ± pruinose, with a thin concolorous margin. Ascospores colourless, 1-septate, 8 per ascus.
Chemistry: Thallus K+ pale yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow or orange, UV+ white; containing thamnolic (major), decarboxythamnolic (tr.), 4-O-methylcryptochlorophaeic (tr.) acids and several unidentified depsides in trace amounts (Johnston 2001c: 22).
Similar taxa
Its morphology is strikingly similar to that of Siphula australiensis Kantvilas, but this latter species has thicker, scabrid–mealy lobes that are chalky white, and it is consistently sterile (as with all known species of Siphula).
Substrate
Terricolous (healthland and peat)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (25 June 2021). Information in the Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa 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.