Nephroma rufum
Synonyms
Nephroma helveticum var. rufum, Nephroma resupinatum var. rufa, Nephromium helveticum var. rufum, Nephromium laevigatum var. rufum
Family
Nephromataceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Dark reddish-brown or greyish-brown, smooth or ± ridged-faveolate upper surface, with lobes closely appressed centrally and ascending apically, and spare to abundant phyllidia.
Distribution
North Island: Te Kotukutuku. South Island: Nelson (Aniseed Valley); Canterbury (Nina Valley near Lewis Pass, Craigieburn Range, Banks Peninsula, Peel Forest, Lake Tekapo); Otago (Lake Ohau, Routeburn Valley, Trotters Gorge, Dunedin, Akatore, Kaka Point); Southland (Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound). It occurs widely throughout New Zealand, though is still rather poorly collected.
Known also from E Australia (Queensland to Victoria) and Tasmania.
Habitat
On damp rocks and tree trunks in deeply shaded, humid habitats.
Detailed description
Thallus thin, lobate, orbicular to spreading, 1-10 cm diam., corticolous and saxicolous. Lobes 3-8 mm wide and 3-12 mm long, closely appressed centrally, ascending apically, margins entire, sinuous. Upper surface dark reddish-brown or greyish-brown or grey (shaded forms), smooth or ± ridged-faveolate especially towards margins, phyllidiate. Phyllidia sparse to abundant, terete, 0.2 mm diam., 0.5 mm tall, or becoming ± flattened-squamulose to 1 mm diam., scattered over upper surface, singly or in groups. Lower surface dark brown to black, wrinkled, shining or matt, glabrous or microscopically pubescent or finely scabrid. Apothecia subrotund to reniform, 3 × 5 mm diam., with thin, denticulate margins, cortex above apothecia wrinkled, scabrid-areolate, disc red-brown. Ascospores colourless to pale reddish-brown, 3-septate, 15-20 × 5-7 µm.
Chemistry: Hopane-15α, 22-diol, and unidentified pigments, occasionally 7β-acetoxyhopan-22-ol (tr.).
Similar taxa
Nephroma rufum differs from N. helveticum in the nearly glabrous lower surface, the entire lobe margins, the scattered laminal phyllidia, the different spore size and the different chemistry.
Substrate
Saxicolous and corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (5 July 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections sourced 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.