Pertusaria parvula
Family
Pertusariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: OL
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; verruciform apothecia; small ascospores; and the presence of 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone.
Distribution
North Island: (Cape Palliser Wellington) (Ford 2022). South Island: Marlborough (Chetwode Islands) (Galloway 2007).
Habitat
On bark. Known only from the type collection and a recent collection from Cape Palliser, Wellington corticolous on Kunzea robusta (M. Ford 2022).
Detailed description
Thallus off-white, thin, somewhat cracked, surface smooth and somewhat shining, without isidia or soredia. Apothecia verruciform, very flattened-hemispherical, concolorous with thallus, scattered, 0.8–1.2 mm diam.; ostioles conspicuous, black, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., 1 per verruca. Ascospores 8 per ascus, uniseriate, ellipsoidal, smooth, 30–37 × 18–20 μm.
Chemistry: K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone.
Similar taxa
It is superficially similar to both P. albissima and P. melaleucoides but is distinguished by the number and size of the ascospores and the presence of 4,5-dichlorolichexanthone.
Substrate
Corticolous
Etymology
parvula: Very small, insignificant
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
Ford M. 2022: iNaturalist observation. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/124862785. Date accessed: 16 June 2023.
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.