Megalaria crispisulcans
Family
Ramalinaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Distribution
Endemic (?). New Zealand: - North Island (Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty), Chatham Islands (Rekohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Island)
Habitat
Corticolous and saxicolous on coastal and lowland forests.
Detailed description
Corticolous, sometimes saxicolous lichen. Marginal prothallus usually present, this white, up to 5 mm wide. Thallus effuse, 1.0–1.5 mm thick, composed of aggregated green to olivaceous (grey-brown on storage) coralloid isidia, 0.05–0.07 mm diameter, 0.1–0.5 mm long. Photobiont green, cells irregular, 4–8 μm across. Apothecia solitary to crowded, sessile, sometimes partially hidden within isidia, black, 1.0–2.6 mm diameter, flat to slightly concave with a smooth, thin (0.1–0.2 mm) proper margin, becoming slightly convex and contorted when mature. Hymenium 125–160 μm tall, composed of thin (1.0–1.5 μm wide), simple paraphyses, not or slightly swollen at the apex; separating in K but ±conglutinate at the epihymenium; epihymenium thin, olivaceous grey (no discernible reaction with K, H, or N). Hypothecium dark brown or blue-black in places, heavily pigmented and indistinct from exciple (N+ red bleeding into hymenium, other tests negative). Ascus Biatora-type, cylindrical, 90–120 × 30–35 μm; ascospores 1-septate, broadly ellipsoid, often slightly constricted at septum, 25–30(35) × (8)12.5–15 μm (n = 38). Exciple cupular, composed of radiating hyphae ca. 1-2 μm wide, 75–150 μm wide laterally, blue-black (K+ green, H+ blue/ green, N+ magenta, cinereorufa-green), outer 5–50 μm hyaline with blue-black pigmentation often bleeding in at base. Conidiomata not observed. Chemistry: K–, C–, Pd–. TLC: negative.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Peter J. de Lange (2 December 2023). Description from Marshall et al. (2023).
References and further reading
Marshall, A.J.; Blanchon, D.J.; de Lange, P.J.; Wells, S.J.; Fryday, A.M.; Tang, T.; Knight, A. 2023: Megalaria crispisulcans, a new isidiate species of Megalaria (Ramalinaceae) from Aotearoa / New
Zealand. Perspectives in Biodiversity 1(1): 25–42.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Megalaria crispisulcans Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/megalaria-crispisulcans/ (Date website was queried)