Pertusaria lavata
Family
Pertusariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, SO, Sp
Brief description
Characterised by the saxicolous (coastal rocks) habit; the flattened verrucae (often confluent); the 8, biseriate ascospores and the chemistry.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Moturoa Island, Whale Island, Bay of Islands, Broken Islands off Great Barrier Island).
Also in Queensland and New South Wales, including Lord Howe Island.
Habitat
On coastal rocks.
Detailed description
Thallus grey-white or pale greenish-grey, uniform, matt, areolate-cracked, areolae angular 0.2-0.6 mm diam., plane or minutely verrucose-irregular, saxicolous. Fertile verrucae scattered, smoothly rounded, hemispherical, 0.5-3.0 mm diam., ± shining, brownish-buff. Apothecia immersed, 1-3 per verruca, 0.2-0.4 mm diam., ostioles black, punctiform, minute. Asci clavate 8-spored, Ascospores biseriate, ellipsoid with pointed ends, 78.3-120 × 30-43.5 µm, wall 8-13 µm thick.
Chemistry: K−, KC−, C−, Pd−; containing 4.5-dichlorolichexanthone and 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid (Archer & Elix 1992: 426; 1994b: 17).
Similar taxa
It is distinguished from the chemically similar, 8-spored saxicolous P. lophocarpa Körb. by the conspicuous, raised verrucae and the smaller, uniseriate ascospores.
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (16 June 2023). 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.