Pannaria allorhiza
Synonyms
Lecanora allorhiza, Psoroma allorhizum, Physcia regalis
Family
Pannariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; the relatively long, parallel lobes, with the central parts of the thallus having short, swollen, glomerulate isidia; the upper surface distinctly fibrous and sometimes areolate–scabrid in patches; rather rare, globose-gomerulate, clustered cephalodia, 1–3 mm diam., on the lower surface; central apothecia.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Omanaia), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.), Wellingon (Kapiti I.). South Island: Nelson (Mt Robert, Te Rata), Otago (Hidden Falls), Southland (Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Five Fingers Peninsula, Dusky Sound). Stewart Island: (Moturau Moana, Butterfield’s Beach, Freshwater Valley, Wilson Bay, Port Pegasus). Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Mainly lowland and coastal, but also occasionally inland.
Detailed description
Thallus rosette-forming, lobate, without a prothallus, closely attached, to 12 cm diam. Lobes laciniate-incised, ±discrete at margins, 2-5 mm wide, becoming crowded, imbricate, ± confluent at centre, margins entire, waxy, slightly notched or incised, thickened, conspicuously inrolled, often also ± subascendent, ± isidiate centrally. Upper surface distinctly fibrous and sometimes areolate-scabrid in patches, matt, smooth or shining, when wet, pale greenish-grey or yellowish-buff when dry, not pruinose or tomentose. Isidia gnarled-glomerulate or lobulate, mainly marginal, not developed at lobe apices, often dense centrally, 1-3 mm tall, concolorous with thallus, or often paler and with black spots or patches at apices, ± uniformly corticate. Cephalodia rather rare, on lower surface, globose-glomerulate, often clustered, placodioid, pale grey, smooth, wrinkled, 1-3 mm diam., at lobe margins and towards centre. Lower surface pale buff, darker centrally, with a fine to thick buff tomentum to lobe margins, pale buff or whitish, simple rhizines moderately thickly developed centrally, to 2 mm long. Apothecia numerous centrally, often densely crowded and contorted through mutual pressure, 1-5 mm diam., margins thick, corrugate or granular below, concolorous with thallus, often inflexed, not isidiate, striate-contorted, disc pale red-brown to rarely dark brown or pale yellow- brown, plane and smooth at first, becoming contorted-convolute with age, occasionally centrally fissured or etched, rarely with small thalline lobules, matt, epruinose. Ascospores ellipsoid 15-22 × 11-12 µm.
Chemistry: Vicanicin and (±) allorhizin.
Substrate
On bark of trees and shrubs (corticolous), more rarely on rock (saxicolous).
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (17 May 2021). Information in the Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from 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.