Normandina pulchella
Common name
Elf ears lichen
Synonyms
Verrucaria pulchella
Family
Verrucariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Squamulose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
A characteristic species recognised by the corticolous/lichenicolous habit; the small scattered, ear-like squamules (×10 lens) with a raised margin; concentric ridges on the upper surface; and the presence of soralia.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands, Spirits Bay, Radar Bush, Great Barrier Island, Woodhill Forest), Auckland (Piha), Gisborne (Whanarua Bay) to Wellington (Kaimanawa Ranges). South Island: Nelson to Southland. Stewart Island. Auckland Islands.
Widely distributed, although often overlooked because of its small size.
Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Macaronesia, Cape Verde Islands, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America and Australia.
Habitat
Common in humid, shaded habitats on decaying vegetation, tree bark, rarely on rock and quite often on the surface of other lichens, especially Heterodermia, Pannaria, Notoparmelia, Parmotrema, Physcia, Pseudocyphellaria and Sticta. It also appears to tolerate moderate pollution in urban environments, being commonly recorded from the bark of inner city trees (along with pollution-tolerant species such as Austroparmelina labrosa and Physcia adscendens), and in one instance from the bark of Metrisideros excelsa close to a source of sulphur dioxide near a fertiliser factory in New Plymouth.
Detailed description
Thallus of small, cochleate squamules, scattered or forming colonies, corticolous, saxicolous, foliicolous or lichenicolous. Squamules 1-2 mm diam., upper surface glaucous, pale greenish or greenish-grey, concentrically ridged, margins entire, slightly raised and inrolled, soredia present on surface and at margins, greenish, farinose. Lower surface ecorticate, tomentose, pale.
Chemistry: TLC−, all reactions negative.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous, foliicolous or lichenicolous
Etymology
pulchella: Pretty little thing
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (24 December 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985) & Galloway (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.