Nephroma helveticum
Family
Nephromataceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the presence of isidia-like outgrowths and phyllidia on margins and lamina; pectinate apothecial margins; scabrid dorsal surface of apothecium; and a chemistry dominated by hopane triterpenoids.
Distribution
South Island: Nelson (Nelson Lakes National Park to Westport); Westland (Lake Brunner, Whataroa); Canterbury (Nina Valley, Boyle River, Hanmer, Hawdon River).
Widespread though rare in the Northern Hemisphere, being recorded from Europe, Macaronesia, North America, Thailand.
Habitat
In moderate to deep shade in humid habitats on the bark of trees and shrubs.
Still rather poorly collected in New Zealand. Often sympatric with Nephroma rufum.
Detailed description
Thallus thin, lobate, orbicular to spreading, 1-5(-8) cm diam., corticolous, upper surface brown, greyish-brown or pale grey with varying amounts of pubescence, particularly on the backs of the apothecia, wrinkled, matt or shining, ± faveolate and often ± maculate (×10 lens), margins indented, broadly lobulate or denticulate, phyllidiate. Phyllidia terete to ± flattened to 1 mm diam., mainly marginal, occasionally spreading over surface. Lower surface black or dark brown, tomentose or densely pubescent, rarely in part glabrous. Apothecia common, to 8 mm diam., rounded to reniform, with a thin, dentate thalline margin, disc red-brown, matt or shining. Ascospores pale reddish-brown, 3-septate, 20-25 × 6-9 µm.
Chemistry: Hopane-7β, 22-diol, 7β-acetoxyhopane-22-ol (±) and ±ursolic acid.
Similar taxa
Nephroma rufum is distinguished from N. helveticum by the presence of numerous, flattened phyllidia instead of a denticulate thalline margin, a glabrous lower surface, smaller spores and a different chemistry.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (10 January 2024). 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.