Leptogium crispatellum
Synonyms
Leptogium pecten
Family
Collemataceae
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 muscicolous/terricolous/saxicolous habit; rather small, crowded lobes that are naked below, and having lacerate–ragged and often phyllidiate margins, and laminal phylllidia. The lobes are very often characteristically browned, and in exposed sites thalli are pulvinate and often ±blackened.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Island) to South Auckland (Otorohanga). South Island: Nelson (Takaka) to Southland (Invercargill). Campbell Island: (Mt Beeman).
It is also known from Tasmania, Marion Island, Heard Island, and the South Shetland Island.
Habitat
Among mosses on clay banks and alongside paths in gardens, on damp soil, on bark, on acid rocks and also on limestone, s.l. to 2100 m.
It is known from the following phorophytes: Agathis australis, Cupressus macrocarpa*, Griselinia littoralis, Metrosideros excelsa, Populus nigra* and Prumnopitys ferruginea.
Detailed description
Thallus lobate, erect to semi-erect, pulvinate, 1-3(-18) cm diam., lead grey to bluish, red-brown at apices, often ± totally brownish, corticolous or saxicolous. Lobes orbicular, 1-4 mm wide, margins irregularly incised, ragged to lobulate or denticulate, crowded, subascending. Upper surface smooth to ± uneven, not noticeably wrinkled or plicate, ± densely isidiate. Isidia squamiform, marginal and laminal, crowded. Lower surface smooth to finely wrinkled-plicate, glabrous, rarely isidiate, concolorous with upper surface or paler. Apothecia rare, sessile to subpedicellate, disc plane, pale red-brown, 0.5-1 mm diam., immarginate. Ascospores subellipsoid, submuriform, 3-4 transverse septa and 1 longitudinal septum, apices rounded to pointed, 16-24 × 6-9 µm.
Similar taxa
Browned lobes distinguish this species from L. denticulatum.
Substrate
Corticolous, muscicolous (on moss), terricolous, saxicolous (acid rocks, limestone)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (24 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.