Placopsis lateritioides
Family
Trapeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the rosette-forming to irregularly spreading, rusty-orange-coloured thallus; and the grey-blue, scattered soralia.
Distribution
South Island: Nelson (Mt Arthur, St Arnaud Range, Mt Lakeman), Canterbury (Phipps Peak, Temple Basin, Arthur’s Pass, Craigieburn Range, Two Thumbs Range, Sebastopol, Mt Cook National Park, Mt Peel), Otago (Mt Ida, Swampy Hill, Flagstaff Hill Dunedin).
Habitat
On exposed subalpine to high-alpine rocks, 650-2,000 m. Associating with Placopsis bicolor, P. dennanensis, P. gelidioides, Umbilicaria cylindrica.
Detailed description
Thallus determinate, effigurate, orbicular to irregularly spreading, to 6 cm diam., saxicolous. Marginal lobes swollen, expanded at apices, rounded, crenate, discrete or becoming confluent, usually separated by narrow cracks, extending into centre of thallus, lobes also transversely cracked, wrinkled or folded. Upper surface distinctly rust-red to orange-brown, epruinose, areolate centrally, areolae swollen, rounded to irregular, 0.5-2 mm diam., isidia absent, sorediate. Soredia sparse to numerous, grey-white, erumpent, subrotund, to 2 mm diam., forming abraded patches on areolae. Cephalodia sparse, rounded to irregular, or radially lobate, 2-5 mm diam., brownish-red, dull, epruinose. Apothecia not seen. Pycnidia immersed in areolae, ostiole minute, punctiform. Conidia filiform, straight or curved 13-16 × 0.5 µm.
Chemistry: Thallus K−, C+ red, KC+ red, Pd−; containing gyrophoric acid.
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (February 2023). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features 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.