Ochrolechia pallescens
Synonyms
Lecidea implicata, Lichen pallescens, Ochrolechia californica f. crenata
Family
Ochrolechiaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; whitish or cream or greyish, continuous, wrinkled, irregularly warted or granular to diffract–areolate thallus; large (2–3 mm diam.), scattered apothecia with entire, swollen margins and densely white-pruinose discs (C+ rose); and ovoid ascospores, 49–58 × 25– 30 μm.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Te Paki, Awanui Swamp, Poor Knights Islands, Whangarei, Tokatoka), Auckland (Rangitoto), South Auckland (Moerangi), Hawke’s Bay (Ball’s Clearing), Wellington (Silica Springs Track, Ohakune, Desert Road, Kapiti Island, Rimutaka Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes, Cobb Lake), Marlborough (Resolution Bay), Canterbury (Arthur’s Pass, Broken River), Otago (Rees Valley, Silver Peaks), Southland. Stewart Island: (Islet Cove Port Pegasus).
Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, being known from Great Britain, W Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Mexico, Chile, Hawai’i, Marquesas, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, and Australia
Habitat
On bark of trees in forest, especially Avicennia marina, Coprosma, Leptospermum scoparium, Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides [Fuscospora cliffortioides], Weinmannia racemosa and in subalpine scrub (Dracophyllum longifolium) and maritime scrub. Associating commonly with Buellia griseovirens, Lecidella elaeochroma and Menegazzia neozelandica.
Detailed description
Thallus whitish or cream, rarely greyish, to 0.5 mm thick, continuous, wrinkled, diffract-areolate, irregularly warted or granular, warts swollen, in orbicular patches 3-6(-10) cm diam., corticolous. Apothecia sessile, 2-3 mm wide, round to irregular, disc concave to plane, scabrid, densely white-pruinose, pinkish-yellow or buff-coloured beneath pruina, margins white, 0.4-0.5 mm thick, entire, swollen. Ascospores 6-8 per ascus, ovoid, 49-58 × 25-30 µm.
Chemistry: Cortex K−, C+ rose, KC+ rose, Pd−; apothecial disc K−, C+ rose, KC+ red, Pd−; containing gyrophoric acid.
Similar taxa
Ochrolechia pallescens is distinguished from O. thelotremoides (the only other corticolous member of the genus) by its ±continuous wrinkled, diffract–areolate or verrucose thallus and ovoid, 49–58 × 25–30 μm ascospores, whereas O. thelotremoides has a discontinuous, papillate or granular–uneven thallus, and ascospores that are oblong and 25–35 × 7–9 μm in size.
Substrate
Corticolous
Etymology
pallescens: Rather pale
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (16 March 2022). 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.