Leioderma pycnophorum
Synonyms
Pannaria pycnophora, Parmeliella pycnophora
Family
Pannariaceae
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
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Is, Poor Knights Islands) South Auckland (West Taupo, Waimiha Stream, Waipakihi Valley Kaimanawa Ranges), Wellington (Mamaku, Waiotapu Valley, Moerangi, E of Chateau Tongariro). South Island: Nelson (Rahu Swamp near Reefton), Westland (Kelly’s Creek) to Fiordland and western Southland. Stewart Island: (Halfmoon Bay). Auckland Islands. Campbell Island.
Known also from south-eastern Australia and Tasmania.
It occurs in two widely disjunct Southern Hemisphere areas, viz. (1) New Zealand, SE Australia and Tasmania and (2) southern Chile and Tristan da Cunha. It appears to be more common in the first region than the second.
Habitat
On twigs of trees and shrubs in moist, humid, rather low-light habitats, especially in disturbed areas or at forest margins. It is an epiphyte of the following phorophytes: Coprosma, Leucopogon, Dacrycarpus, Griselinia, Kunzea, Leptospermum, Lophomyrtus, Olearia, Pseudowintera and Pterophylla.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose-lobate, loosely attached, to 6 cm diam., corticolous. Lobes to 5 mm broad, laciniate, subimbricate, broadly rounded, margins often ascendent, entire or bordered with small, somewhat isidiate, applanate or verruciform lobules. Upper surface greyish-green, glaucous or brownish-grey, smooth, matt or scabrid (×10 lens) particularly towards margins and apices. Lower surface pale whitish at margins, buff-brown centrally with tufts of long (0.5-2 mm), silky white or blue-black rhizines. Apothecia frequent, often crowded, sessile to subpedicellate, to 1 mm diam., disc plane or subconvex, pale or dark red-brown or blackened, smooth, waxy, with a pale proper margin, excluded in older fruits. Ascospores narrowly ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, 14-18 × 5-6 µm.
Chemistry: TLC−, all reactions negative.
Similar taxa
Leioderma pycnophorum is very similar to L. erythrocarpum in gross morphology, but differs in its scabrid upper surface (×10 lens), and in the negative hymenial iodine reaction.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (18 December 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa 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.