Menegazzia pertransita
Synonyms
Parmelia amabilis var. glaucothalla, P. amabilis var. subsessilis, P. pertransita
Family
Parmeliaceae
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 corticolous habit; large, gaping perforations with inrolled edges; pedicellate apothecia with a coarsely scabrid exciple and stalk; 8-spored asci; a non-granular epithecium; and the presence of fatty acids in the medulla. M. pertransita is a very variable species, ranging from specimens with small, narrow, radiating lobes to examples with broad, contorted or imbricate lobes. The occurrence of perforations is also variable, and in some collections only 1 or 2 perforations (usually at the margins of the thallus) may be present in an otherwise well-developed specimen. Some specimens from exposed, often subalpine, habitats may be ±suffused brownish.
Distribution
North Island: Wellington (National Park) E to Lake Waikaremoana and S to Cook Strait. South Island: Marlborough (Pelorus Bridge) E and W of the Main Divide to Southland (Longwood Range, Borland Saddle, Lake Wapiti, Homer).
Probably the most commonly collected non-sorediate species of the genus in New Zealand.
Known also from Australia and southern South America.
Habitat
Lowland and coastal to inland, subalpine, widely distributed and frequently collected from tree bark, more rarely from rocks or mosses on the ground in humid habitats, s.l. to 1065 m.
Detailed description
Thallus closely attached, forming regular or irregular, complete or partial rosettes or irregularly encircling twigs, to 20 cm diam., sometimes coalescing to form extensive colonies, corticolous, lignicolous, more rarely saxicolous, muscicolous or terricolous. Lobes numerous, ± radiating at outer edges, medium, very variable, 0.5-3.5 mm wide, distinct at margins, becoming intricately interwoven centrally and there associated with numerous, secondary lobes, terminal lobes irregularly or subdichotomously branched, occasionally ± palmate, contiguous throughout entire length or remaining discrete, often overlapping and becoming ± compressed and distorted centrally, margins sinuous-contorted, entire, occasionally notched, sometimes with very short laterals, not, or sparingly, or rarely notably blackened (in exposed habitats), apices concolorous with thallus or ± suffused-brownish, hollow, lower side of internal cavity with a grey-white, thin, arachnoid tomentum. Upper surface uneven, whitish-grey, pale grey or green-grey, emaculate, ± rugose-uneven, shining, without isidia or soredia. Perforations frequent, median, large, gaping, 0.5-1(-2.0) mm diam., rounded or somewhat irregular through mutual compression of lobes, not elevated, margins depressed or inrolled around perforation. Apothecia numerous, on short inner, often lateral lobes towards centre, usually scattered or becoming clustered, verrucose at first, then markedly turbinate with an elongate or short, stout pedicel, 4-6(-7) mm diam., cupulate, margins thick, becoming thinner at maturity, areolate-striate, exciple coarsely scabrid, disc concave, pale brown, dark brown or red-brown, smooth, shining, epruinose. Epithecium red-brown without granules. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical or ± long-ellipsoid, 100-120 × 40-45 µm. Ascospores ellipsoid, 25-30(-39) × 20-22(-24) µm, wall 2-2.5 µm thick. Pycnidia numerous, clustered on short lateral lobes at centre, rare on marginal lobes, dark red, apices brown.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, lichesterinic and protolichesterinic acids and a UV−, yellow pigment.
Similar taxa
The relationship of this taxon to the Australian species M. weindorferi (Zahlbr.) R.Sant., needs closer assessment. In some forms of M. pertransita the tomentum of the internal cavity may be ±pigmented pale-yellow; however, the pigment is not the same as that found in M. foraminulosa and in any case these two species are readily distinguished by differences in medullary chemistry.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (February 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.