Lecanactis mollis
Synonyms
Sagenidium molle
Family
Roccellaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Filamentous
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the grey-white or bluish-grey, spreading, byssoid thallus; lecideine, plane black apothecia with densely white-pruinose discs; 5-septate ascospores, 22–30(–35) × 3–8 μm; and lepraric acid as the major chemical compound.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Radar Bush, Warawara State Forest), South Auckland (Kuratau, Moerangi, King Country), Gisborne (Lake Waikareiti), to Wellington (Tararua Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Kakapo Saddle Whangapeka Track, Burgoo Stream, Mt Herbert, Cobb Valley, Fyfe River, St Arnaud Range, Flora Saddle Mt Arthur Range), Canterbury (Arthur’s Pass), Otago (Leith Saddle, Blue Mts), Southland (Percy Saddle, Lake Manapouri, Monowai, Longwood Range, Bluff Hill). Stewart Island: (Ulva Island, Fraser Peaks Magog, Islet Cove Port Pegasus).
Also known in Australia (Tasmania and Victoria).
Habitat
An epiphyte of mature forest trees, e.g. Dacrycarpus, Podocarpus and Nothofagus, [Fuscospora, Lophozonia] where it is found typically on the undersides of inclined trunks or large branches in dry, overhanging habitats protected from direct contact with rain or water runnels, a particular ecology that is shared by a number of lichen genera including Bactrospora, Chaenotheca and Lecanactis, and by a number of byssoid lichens elsewhere (see Rogers & Hafellner 1987; Kantvilas 1996). A specimen (CHR 507158) collected by David Glenny from Branch Hut, Fyfe River, is from a dry marble wall in Nothofagus menziesii [Lophozonia menziesii] forest.
Detailed description
Thallus white to greyish-blue-white, soft, felted, in fine strands, 0.2-0.4 mm thick and 4-8 mm tall, and to 10(-15) cm diam., orbicular or irregularly spreading, without soredia or isidia, corticolous, or muscicolous. Apothecia emergent, lateral and terminal on strands, frequent to absent, subpedicellate, subglobose, disc concave to plane or subconvex, black or brown-black, distinctly white-tomentose, 0.5-1(-2) mm diam. Ascospores fusiform with pointed ends, 5-septate, locules rounded, slightly curved 22-30(-34) × 3-8 µm.
Tasmanian populations of Sagenidium molle are parasitised by the lichenicolous fungus *Arthonia sagenidii Vězda & Kantvilasntvilas & Vězda 1992), but to date this has not been noted from New Zealand populations.
Chemistry: Lepraric acid ±schizopeltic acid.
Similar taxa
It is distinguished from Roccellinastrum neglectum in its morphology (spreading rosettes rather than discrete lobes), ecology (dry underhangs on trunks and large branches of mature forest trees), chemistry and ascospores.
Substrate
Corticolous (bark), saxicolous (occasionally)
Etymology
mollis: Soft
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (16 February 2022). 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.
Kantvilas G. 1996 [“1995”]: Alpine lichens of Tasmania’s south west wilderness. Lichenologist 27: 433–449
Rogers R.W.; Hafellner J. 1987: Sagenidiopsis, a new genus of byssoid lichenized fungi. Lichenologist 19: 401–408.