Menegazzia pulchra
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: RR, Sp
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; bright orange-red apothecial margins; 8-spored asci; and norstictic acid (K+ yellow-red) in the medulla. First collected by A.J. Healy in 1962 from mountain beech in the Craigieburn Range, where it seems best-developed.
Margins of apothecia bright orange-red (K+ purple-black), medulla K+ red (crystals)
Distribution
South Island: Canterbury (Hawdon River, Klondyke Corner upper Waimakariri River, Craigieburn Forest Park).
Habitat
A rather restricted epiphyte of mountain beech (Fuscospora cliffortioides).
Detailed description
Thallus firmly attached, forming regular or irregular, complete or partial rosettes, to 15 cm diam., sometimes coalescing and then covering extensive areas of substrate, corticolous. Lobes numerous, radiating, 3-5(-6) mm wide, remaining distinct to centre of thallus, irregularly branched, laterals few, contiguous throughout entire length, becoming compressed and distorted centrally, rarely overlapping, margins sinuous-contorted, entire or occasionally notched, ± thinly blackened, especially centrally, hollow, lower side of internal cavity pale, apices ± suffused-brownish. Upper surface mostly convex, uniformly pale grey, here and there irregularly white-maculate, smooth or subrugose, shining, without isidia or soredia. Perforations frequent, median, mostly on main lobes, 1-1.5 mm diam., ± elevated, becoming low-conical or truncate, rounded or becoming distorted with age. Apothecia frequent, rather widely scattered, rarely 2-3-contiguous, elevated, ± pedicellate, ± turbinate, to 5 mm tall and to 4 mm diam., margins thick, persistent, entire, becoming ± striate-crenulate with age, inflexed, elevated, disc concave to ± plane, dark brown, usually ± bright orange-pruinose, pedicel and margins also ± densely coated in bright orange-red pruina. Epithecium ± red-brown, surface with numerous to few, irregular or ± rectangular orange-brown crystals. Asci 8-spored 130 × 60 µm. Ascospores ellipsoid, 35-43 × 20-23 µm, wall 3.5 µm thick.
Chemistry: Atranorin (cortex), norstictic acid [K+ red(crystals), Pd+ orange] and an unidentified orange pigment (K+ purple); apothecial margins K+ purple → black.
Similar taxa
It appears to be most closely related to Menegazzia pertransita.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (27 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.