Pertusaria lophocarpa
Synonyms
Pertusaria superba Zahlbr., Pertusaria dunedina Zahlbr.
Family
Pertusariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Distribution
South Island: Canterbury (Port Hills, Banks Peninsula), Otago (Herbert State Forest, Maungatua, Flagstaff). Campbell Island. Macquarie Island.
Also known in South East Australia (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory) and Tasmania.
Habitat
On subalpine rocks in grassland, s.l. to 1500 m.
Detailed description
Thallus grey-white, pale glaucous grey or fawn-grey, matt, uniform, areolate-cracked or with parallel striations or deep or narrow cracks (rather like tree bark), 2-12 cm diam., margins indeterminate, effuse. Fertile verrucae scattered, 0.5-5 mm diam., ± hemispherical deformed, constricted at base, round to irregular. Apothecia 1-5(-10) per verruca, immersed, ostioles black, apex of verruca surrounding ostiole red-brown, ± translucent margins grey-white or concolorous with thallus. Asci 8-spored. Ascospores uniseriate, oval-ellipsoid, ends pointed, (43.5-)52-69.5 × 25-30 µm, walls 3-13 µm thick, thickest at apices.
Chemistry: K−, KC−, C−, Pd−; containing 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone (major), 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid (major), ±confluentic acid (minor) or rarely with 2-O-methylperlatolic acid (minor) replacing confluentic acid.
Similar taxa
Resembles P. subverrucosa Nyl., but is distinguished from it by the larger ostioles, the number of ascospores (8-spored in P. lophocarpa; 2-spored in P. subverrucosa) and the K reaction (P. subverrucosa reacts K+ red because of the presence of norstictic acid; P. lophocarpa reacts K−).
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.