Parmotrema perlatum
Common name
Black stone flower
Synonyms
Lichen chinensis, Lichen perlatus, Parmelia perlata, Parmotrema chinense
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous/lignicolous/saxicolous habit; the loosely to moderately adnate thallus; submarginal soralia causing lobe margins to become revolute and suberect; and the stictic acid complex in the medulla.
Distribution
Noth Island: Northland to Wellington. South Island: Nelson to Southland. Stewart Island. Auckland Islands. Campbell Island.
Cosmopolitan. Occurs throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres (Wikipedia 2021).
Habitat
Paromotrema perlatum appears to be one of the most effectively dispersed lichens in New Zealand being an early and common coloniser of sawn and decorticated wood and, together with species of Ramalina and Usnea soon colonises fenceposts and telegraph poles. It rarely occurs as an epiphyte of standing forest trees but is commonly encountered on the bark of Leptospermum and other shrubs on disturbed ground, as well as on introduced trees and shrubs in parks and gardens. The ease of its dispersal and rapidity of growth on decorticated wood substrates and its comparative rarity in undisturbed habitats, particularly in native forests, argue strongly for P. perlatum being a highly successful adventive lichen whose range has been greatly increased by man and his activities
Detailed description
Thallus orbicular to spreading, loosely attached, 5-15 cm diam., corticolous or saxicolous. Lobes rounded, 8-15 mm wide, margins entire, often strongly sinuous, black, shining, ciliate, cilia rather sparse, 0.5-2 mm long. Upper surface pale greenish-grey or bluish-grey in damp habitats, to white or greyish-white in exposed habitats, smooth, matt, often wrinkled and usually cracked in older parts, submarginally sorediate. Soralia linear, soon eroding a large area and causing margins to become strongly revolute or capitate-hooded, soredia fine, powdery, white. Lower surface black and shining, with a conspicuous dark brown, naked marginal zone. Rhizines central, long, black, simple. Apothecia rare, pedicellate, to 6 mm diam., disc concave to ± plane, matt, pale brown to red-brown, imperforate, margins thick, inflexed, sorediate. Ascospores 25-28 × 16-18 µm. Pycnidia occasional, minute, black, punctiform, mainly marginal.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ persistent yellow, C-, KC-, Pd+ pale orange. Atranorin and stictic acid.
Similar taxa
Some specimens may resemble P. reticulatum and in a number of habitats these two taxa are sympatric; however, P. reticulatum has salazinic acid (K+ yellow→red), giving a characteristic blood-red reaction.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous
Parmotrema perlatum is typically used in meat dishes like nihari (paaya), Bombay biryani, and goat meat stews, it is also used in vegetarian dishes (Wikipedia 2021). It is one of the ingredients in East Indian bottle masala, used for cooking meats, fish, and vegetables. In its raw state, black stone flower does not have much taste or fragrance. However, when put in contact with heat, especially cooking oil and ghee, it releases a distinctive earthy, smoky flavour and aroma. This property of black stone flower is especially valued in the tempering step of cooking a number of Indian dishes.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (2 September 21). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features 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.
Wikipedia 2021: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmotrema_perlatum. Date accessed: 28 September 2021.