Pannaria implexa
Synonyms
Psoroma implexum
Family
Pannariaceae
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
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the squamulose thallus developing on a black, distinctly fibrous prothallus, projecting up to 5 mm beyond margins of thalline squamules; the thalline squamules are pale lettuce-green, discrete, scattered, rounded at margins, becoming irregularly lobate-incised to laciniate-elongate, 3 × 1 mm, confluent-imbricate in a mosaic centrally, margins minutely lobulate and distinctly white-pubescent or “frosted”; the lobate-crenate to placodioid cephalodia, 0.5–2 mm diam., and developed between squamules or occasionally overgrowing them; apothecia forming conglomerate groups, 2–6(–10) mm diam., the disc pale to dark red-brown, concentrically striate, or with thalline lobules or ridges; the thalline exciple, thick, waxy, crenate-striate; and oval ellipsoidal ascospores, 13–17 × 8–10 μm, with a wall 1.5–3 μm thick.
The frosted margins of the squamules, the thick, black, fibrous prothallus and the convoluted ridges of thalline tissue on the apothecial discs are characteristic of this species.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Rotorua), Wellington (Tararua Ranges, Wellington, Rimutaka Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Mt Arthur, Lake Rotoiti, Denniston, Tophouse), Westland (Greymouth), Canterbury (Lewis Pass, Boyle River, Arthur’s Pass, Cass), Otago (Merton, Mihiwaka, Flagstaff, Hightop, Maungatua, Akatore), Southland (Secretary Island, Dusky Sound). Stewart Island. Auckland Islands: (Port Ross). Chatham Islands.
Known also from southern Chile.
Habitat
On bark of trees and shrubs in damp, parly shaded habitats, also over-growing mosses, mainly lowland and coastal, s.l. to 1000 m.
Detailed description
Thallus squamulose ± closely attached, 4-8(-10) cm diam., on a fine, black prothallus, projecting to 5 mm beyond squamules, distinctly coarsely fibrous at margins. Squamules discrete, scattered, rounded at margins, becoming irregularly lobate-incised and often slightly laciniate-elongate (1 × 3 mm), at length confluent in a closely attached ± imbricate mosaic at centre, ± distinctly convex and minutely lobulate at margins which are also minutely white- pubescent or “frosted”, bright lettuce-green when wet, pale greenish-grey when dry, becoming yellow-brown to dark red-brown on storage. Cephalodia larger than squamules, lobate-crenate to placodioid, between squamules, 0.5-2.0 mm diam., pale grey-blue, concolorous with thallus on storage, occasionally overgrowing squamules, sometimes striate-cracked, wrinkled-plicate, not flattened. Apothecia forming conglomerate groups with disc, obscured by placodioid or ± convolute, thalline lobules and ridges, disc pale to dark red-brown, concentrically striate beneath thalline tissue, 2-6(-10) mm diam., margins thick, inrolled, crenulate-striate, rather waxy, thalline exciple smooth. Ascospores oval-ellipsoid, apices rounded or pointed 13-17 × 8.3-10.2 µm, wall 1.7-3.0 µm thick.
Chemistry: Pd+ orange; containing pannarin.
This species was moved to Pannaria form Psoroma based on its phylogenetic position and ascus type (Passo et al. 2008).
Substrate
Corticolous
Etymology
implexa: entwined, tangled
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 July 2021). Information in the 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.
Passo A., Stenroos S. & Calvelo S. 2008: Joergensenia, a new genus to accommodate Psoroma cephalodinum (lichenized Ascomycota). Mycological research, 112(12), 1465-1474.