Pannaria sphinctrina
Synonyms
Pannaria beata, Pannaria laciniata, Pannaria sphinctrina var. discreta, Parmelia rubiginosa var. sphinctrina, Parmelia sphinctrina, Psoroma discretum, Psoroma sphinctrinum, Psoroma sphinctrinum var. discretum
Family
Pannariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the variable, foliose–lobate, orbicular to spreading thallus developed on a black, fibrous prothallus; rather narrow lobes (to 2 mm wide and 6–20 mm long) that are discrete or imbricate centrally, without marginal or laminal phyllidia or soredia; the bright-green to olive-green upper surface when freshly gathered (cinnamon-brown on storage), that is neither scabrid nor tomentose; flattened, placodioid, marginal and laminal cephalodia, to 2 mm diam.; frequent apothecia, to 5 mm diam., the disc red-brown or orange, often gyrose-etched and with concentric rings or ridges, but without pruina; ellipsoid–fusiform ascospores, 11–20 × 8–11 μm; and vicanicin as the major secondary compound. It has a green alga as major photobiont.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Is, Radar Bush, Kawerua, Tutamoe, Tapu Bush, Little Barrier I., Great Barrier I.), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.), South Auckland (Mt Maungatawhiri Coromandel Peninsula, Cuvier I., Kaimai Ra.), Wellington (Kapiti I., Wellingon, Tararua Ra.). South Island: Nelson (Lake Rotoiti, St Arnaud Ra., Travers Valley), Marlborough (Queen Charlotte Sound, d’Urville I.), Otago (Leith Valley, Flagstaff, Akatore), Southland (Lake Thompson, Cascade Cove Dusky Sound). Stewart Island: (Magog Fraser Peaks, Islet Cove Port Pegasus). Auckland Islands.
Known also from Australia and southern South America.
Habitat
On bark of forest trees and shrubs, and occasionally on rocks, coastal and lowland to subalpine, s.l. to 1000 m. A common and widespread species in areas of moderate to high rainfall.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose-lobate, closely attached, ± rosette-forming, to 20 cm diam., with a black, fibrous prothallus visible at margins. Lobes rather narrow, to 2 mm wide and 6-10 mm long, discrete or imbricate centrally, margins entire, ± narrowly tapering or ± bifurcate at apices, flat or slightly undulating, thickened below. Upper surface bright lettuce-green, becoming cinnamon-brown on storage, smooth, matt, margins slightly darker, shining, epruinose, not scabrid or tomentose, sometimes ± cracked, ± coriaceous. Lower surface pale buff-brown, with dense, buff or brown tomentum and rhizines almost to margins. Cephalodia flattened, placodioid, to 2 mm diam., marginal and laminal, simple, globose at first, becoming wrinkled-plicate. Apothecia frequent, often crowded, sessile or subpedicellate, round to irregular, to 5 mm diam., disc red- brown or orange, often gyrose-etched, darker centrally, often with concentric rings or ridges, epruinose, margins thick, crenulate-striate. Ascospores ellipsoid- fusiform, 11-20 × 8-11 µm.
Substrate
Corticolous
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.