Pertusaria southlandica
Family
Pertusariaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient
Brief description
Characterized by conspicuous, multi-ostiolate verrucae, asci with two rough-walled ascospores, and the presence of 2-chlorolichexanthone and conhypoprotocetraric acid.
Distribution
South Island: Previously only known from the type locality at Boyd Creek, 20 km W of Te Anau Downs (Knight et al. 2011). Since then has been found in the Eyre Mountains (Marley Ford, pers. comm.).
Habitat
Found in association with other Pertusariaceae species including Lepra psoromica, L. thamnolica, L. truncata and Varicellaria velata.
The type specimen was found growing on Fuscospora solandri, the second collection was recorded on Fuscospora cliffortioides.
Detailed description
Thallus corticolous, pale grey-white, finely rimose-cracked, rough and thickish in fertile areas and against adjacent crusts, thinning towards margins. Surface dull to slightly shiny, lacking pruina, isidia and soredia. Faint black prothallus sometimes present. Apothecia verruciform, flattened-hemispherical, numerous, crowded, 2–3 mm diam., concolorous with the thallus. Thalline margins thick, smooth and slightly glossy. Ostioles pale, conspicuous, 3–8 per verruca, slightly sunken. Ascospores ellipsoid, hyaline, 2 per ascus, rough-walled, 87–105 × 30–50 µm.
Chemistry: cortex K–, KC–, C–, P+ yellow-orange, UV+ dull brick red; medulla UV+ bright white; containing conhypoprotocetraric acid (major), 2-chlorolichexanthone (minor), hypoprotocetraric acid (minor) and protocetraric aid (trace).
Similar taxa
It somewhat resembles the coastal Australian Pertusaria thwaitesii, which is also known from Sri Lanka and New Guinea, but that species has longer ascospores (110–160(–175) µm versus 87–105 µm) and black ostioles, and contains protocetraric acid. The New Zealand endemic P. vallicola, known from one location in Canterbury, is also similar to P. southlandica; both species have asci with two rough-walled ascospores and pale ostioles, but P. vallicola contains hypoprotocetraric acid as a major compound and has smaller verrucae (0.2–0.3 mm versus 2–3 mm diam.) and only one ostiole per verruca.
Substrate
Corticolous
Etymology
southlandica: Derived from Southland, the district in the South Island of New Zealand where the species was first found.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (9 October 2022). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Knight et al. (2011).
References and further reading
Knight A., Elix J.A., and Archer A.W. 2011: A new species of Pertusaria lichenized Ascomycota, Pertusariaceae from New Zealand. Australasian Lichenology 69: 33-35.