Menegazzia nothofagi
Synonyms
Parmelia nothofagi
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
A small-lobed rather ragged looking species, with plane to convex lobes, usually green and suffused brownish at apices which also have a white-maculate reticulum (×10 lens). Soredia arise from bursting of coarse, isidia-like vesicles that may be so numerous as to obscure central parts of the thallus. In some specimens, soredia are not well-developed, but the ruptured vesicles are characteristic.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Kawerua) to Wellington. South Island: Nelson (St Arnaud Range) to Southland (Edendale Reserve, Waihopai Scenic Reserve), both E and W of the Main Divide. Stewart Island: (Butterfields Beach near Oban, Port Pegasus). Chatham Islands: (Nikau Scenic Reserve).
Habitat
From lowland, coastal forest to subalpine vegetation at treeline. Mainly on bark of forest trees (e.g. Myrsine australis), on young gymnosperms in Sphagnum bogs, rarely on rocks in dry, open Leptospermum scrub or among mosses on rocks or on the ground.
Detailed description
Thallus rosette-forming at first, becoming irregular and forming extensive, ragged-edged patches, individual thalli seldom exceeding 5 cm diam., corticolous, rarely saxicolous or terricolous. Lobes very numerous, small, delicate and fragile, 0.5-0.8 mm wide and to 5 mm long but usually much shorter, irregularly branched, sometimes subpalmate towards perimeter, mostly closely contiguous throughout entire length, often imbricate centrally and there sometimes ± ascending, margins sinuous, entire or notched, hollow, lower side of internal cavity blackened, apices ± elevated, ± pale brown or red-brown. Upper surface concave or plane, shining, pale green-grey or fresh lettuce-green, in exposed situations becoming suffused-brownish, margins not, or only sparingly, blackened, with a faint, white, irregular, incomplete reticulum of maculae (×10 lens) best seen at apices and margins. Perforations numerous, median on main lobes, depressed, oval or rounded, gaping, with an inrolled edge (pertransita-type), 0.2-0.5 mm diam. Soredia arising from upper surface and margins of perforations, derived from erosion of isidia-like vesicles. Vesicles at first simple, or several closely contiguous, hollow, nodular, proliferating to form verruciform clusters which eventually cover older parts of thallus, often apically abraded. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-orange, C−, KC+ orange, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, stictic, constictic, norstictic (tr.) and menegazziaic acids.
Similar taxa
Menegazzia nothofagi is closely related to M. eperforata, which has isidia and lacks perforations.
Substrate
Corticolous, rarely saxicolous or muscicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (15 March 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.