Pertusaria allosorodes
Family
Pertusariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient
Distribution
North Island: Northland: Mangamuka, Hokianga, Maunganui Bluff. South Island: Banks Peninsula.
Habitat
Forest, coastal habitats
Detailed description
Thallus pale fawn, surface smooth and dull, somewhat cracked, lacking isidia and soredia, corticolous. Apothecia verruciform, flattened, sometimes becoming concave, scattered or confluent. 1.5–3 mm diam. Ostioles black, conspicuous, 1–3 per apothecia. Ascospores 2 per ascus, ellipsoid, hyaline with a rough inner wall, 175–210 μm long, 50–70 μm wide.
Chemistry: 2-O-methylstenosporic acid (major), 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone (minor), norstictic acid (minor) and 2-O-methylperlatolic acid (trace).
Similar taxa
Pertusaria allosorodes resembles P. sorodes in that both species are corticolous and have flattened, multi-ostiolate apothecia, asci with two large ascospores, c. 200 μm long, with rough inner walls. The two species differ chemically: P. sorodes contains stenosporic and perlatolic acids whereas P. allosorodes contains the O-methylated analogues, 2-O-methylstenosporic and 2-O-methylperlatolic acids. The somewhat similar species, Pertusaria southlandica also from New Zealand, contains conhypoprotocetraric acid and 2-chlorolichexanthone, whereas another somewhat similar species, P. subsorodes from Papua New Guinea, contains 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid.
This species also resembles P. wattiana. This species has flattened, multi-ostiolate apothecia, two rough-walled ascospores per ascus and contains norstictic and 2-O-methylstenosporic acids as major compounds but the ascospores are smaller (110–137 ✕ 37–45 μm) than those of P. allosorodes (175–210 ✕ 50–70 μm).
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by M. Ford (2 August 2021). Description adapted from Archer & Elix (2013).
References and further reading
Archer A.W. and Elix J.A. 2013: New Species of Pertusaria (Pertusariaceae) from Australia. Telopea 15: 111-117.