Menegazzia inflata
Synonyms
Parmelia inflata
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
Brief description
A very distinctive species often forming loose, straggling, entangled tufts or patches in tussocks (Chionochloa spp.) or at the base of subalpine shrubs (species of Dracophyllum and Hebe especially). The tubular lobes are vermiform and spotted or banded black or occasionally pure white. It is not easily mistaken for any other species in the genus.
Distribution
North Island: Wellington (Ruahine Ra.). South Island: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Diamond Lakes, Mt Peel) Marlborough (Mt Fishtail, Mt Ellis), Westland (Kelly Ra.), Canterbury (Torlesse Ra.), Otago (Lake Mackenzie, Ocean Peak, Caples Valley, Dunstan Mts, Maungatua), to Southland (Dusky Sound, Fiordland, East Dome, Mt Burns). Close to or W of the Main Divide, eastwards to the foothill ranges of Canterbury and Otago. Stewart Island: (Mt Allen).
Habitat
In alpine or subalpine grasslands.
Detailed description
Thallus irregularly rosette-forming to ± straggling, decumbent, 8-12(-20) cm diam., loosely attached, terricolous or amongst basal branches of subalpine shrubs or tussocks. Lobes 1-5 cm long, 4-8 mm wide, tubular-inflated, hollow, ± terete, rarely flattened, sometimes ± erect, more usually decumbent, sparsely dichotomously branched, without adventitious lobules. Upper surface smooth, whitish or spotted black, with ± extensive blackened patches, apices brownish, matt. Perforations large 1-2.5 mm diam., rather sparse, not sorediate. Lower surface black or white-maculate, wrinkled, eperforate. Apothecia rare, pedicellate, cupuliform, 0.5-5 mm diam., disc shining, red-brown, epruinose, concave to plane to convex-deformed, exciple shining, wrinkled-faveolate, margins crenate-striate, concolorous with thallus. Ascospores 2 per ascus, 30-33(-45) × 18-20 µm, wall 3 µm thick.
Chemistry: Stictic, constictic, norstictic (tr.) and menegazziaic acids and an accessory substance; medulla K+ yellow → orange, C-, KC+ orange, Pd+ orange.
Similar taxa
Not easily mistaken for any other species in the genus.
Substrate
Terricolous or muscicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (26 June 2021). Information in the 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.