Peltula euploca
Synonyms
Heppia spectabilis, Lichen euplocus
Family
Peltulaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: RR, SO
Brief description
Characterised by the terricolous/saxicolous habit; orbicular to irregularly lobulate squamules, to 15 mm diam., plane or slightly undulate to strongly convex, the margins generally donwrolled and sorediate; attached to the substratum by a central umbilicus; immersed apothecia, many per squamule; asci containing 100 or more ascospores; ascospores ellipsoidal to fusiform, 6–8 × 3– 5 μm.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Hen Island). South Island: Marlborough, Canterbury (Mackenzie Country), Otago (Central Otago). Stewart Island: (Deceit Peaks). Recently recorded on Banks Peninsula (Hutchison 2020).
Known also from Scandinavia where it is rare and threatened in Norway and Sweden, Europe, Africa, Canary Islands, North America, South America and Easter Island, Japan and Australia.
Habitat
On acidic rocks, cliff faces or dry soil, coastal and inland in arid areas. In habitats exposed to full sun as well as in partly shaded sites (overhangs) subject to intermittent water flow.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose, peltate, monophyllous, attached to substrate by a central umbilicus, often in ± crowded, congested clumps, saxicolous or terricolous. Lobes undulate, shell-like, 7-15 mm wide, margins entire or slightly notched, sinuous, slightly thickened, downrolled, sorediate. Upper surface greyish olive-green or olive-brownish, smooth or scabrid, rather coriaceous, sorediate. Soralia mainly marginal but also laminal, circular, blue-grey, soredia granular, rather coarse. Lower surface smooth, pale buff to brownish-red. Umbilicus ± central, rigid, to 0.4 mm diam. Apothecia many per squamule, immersed, discs punctiform or expanded, to 0.7 mm wide, without a thalline margin. Asci with a gelatinous sheath, 100-120 × 21-27 µm containing 100 or more spores. Ascospores ellipsoid to fusiform 6-7.6 × 3-4.5 µm. Pycnidia immersed, minute, black. Conidia fusiform 3.4 × 1.5 µm.
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (2 February 2022). 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.
Hutchison M. 2020: iNaturalist observation of Peltula euploca. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/54108737.