Megalospora gompholoma subsp. gompholoma
Synonyms
Biatora marginiflexa, Megalospora marginiflexoides, Patellaria gompholoma
Family
Megalosporaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by the presence of pannarin; atrorubicans-type ascospores (1-septate, 1 per ascus, 80–165 × 25–43 μm); dull apothecial discs and with pruina developed in young fruits.
Distribution
North Island. South Island. Stewart Island. Auckland Islands. Campbell Island. Chatham Islands. Throughout.
Megalospora gompholoma ssp. gompholoma is the most widely collected species of the genus in New Zealand.
Habitat
Widespread in forested areas in medium to high light, s.l. to 1100 m. Known from a wide variety of bark substrata: Dacrydium cupressinum, Griselinia littoralis, Hoheria populnea, Melicytus ramiflorus, Metrosideros spp., Myrsine australis and Nothofagus [Lophozonia] menziesii.
Detailed description
Thallus pale grey to white, rather thick (c. 50-200 µm), wrinkled and irregularly cracked to nearly smooth, occasionally more strongly uneven, densely verrucose, verrucae 0.2-0.3 mm diam., and 0.2-0.3 mm tall, often overgrowing bryophytes on bark, very irregular in shape, soredia and isidia absent. Apothecia scattered, 0.8-3.5 mm diam., disc plane or subconvex, black or rarely brown, pale grey-pruinose, dull, margins prominent, thick, black, epruinose or rarely pruinose in a narrow rim around disc, slightly glossy. Epithecium olive-green to olive-brown or pale yellow-brown to dark brown or almost black, diffuse, granular in upper part, 7-14(-24) µm thick. Hymenium 120-160 µm tall, I+ blue. Ascospores 1 per ascus, 1-septate, straight, 80-165 × 25-43 µm, wall 2 µm thick, epispore 1 µm thick, warted.
Chemistry: K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ orange; containing pannarin and zeorin.
Similar taxa
Megalospora gompholoma subsp. gompholoma has pannarin; atrorubicans-type ascospores (1-septate, 1 per ascus, 80–165 × 25–43 μm); dull, not glossy apothecial disc and with pruina developed in young fruits, characters which distinguish it from both M. atrorubicans ssp. australis and M. campylospora.
Megalospora gompholoma subsp. gompholoma is distinguished from M. gompholoma subsp. fuscolineata by the orange-brown layer present below the hymenium (subsp. fuscolineata has a dark-brown layer present below the hymenium).
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (18 June 2023). 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.