Poeltiaria coromandelica
Synonyms
Lecidea coromandelica Zahlbr.
Family
Lecideaceae
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
Brief description
A very characteristic taxon forming prominent pale yellow-white or yellow patches on alpine rocks.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Coromandel Peninsula), Wellington (Ruapehu). South Island: Nelson (Denniston Plateau, Cobb Lake), Canterbury (Arthur’s Pass, Temple Basin), Southland (Secretary Island Doubtful Sound, Mt Hodges, Dusky Sound). Stewart Island: (Mt Rakeahua, Mt Allen). Auckland Islands.
Known also from Australia.
Habitat
On siliceous rocks in semi-exposed to exposed subalpine to alpine habitats. Often with the lichen Labyrintha implexa.
Detailed description
Thallus rosette-forming or irregularly spreading in patches, 1-3(-10) cm diam., yellow or yellow-white, matt, smooth, often appearing ± broadly squamulose, surface subconvex or plane, without a marginal prothallus. Apothecia conspicuous, solitary or 2-3 confluent, rounded or deformed by mutual pressure, 0.5-1.5 mm diam., disc black, matt, epruinose, plane to convex or undulate, margins thin, entire, slightly raised in young fruits, excluded in older fruits, concolorous with disc. Epithecium dark brown or black, 30-45 µm thick. Hymenium 80-100 µm tall, ± bluish. Hypothecium thick, ochraceous-brown or blackish. Ascospores ellipsoid, apices rounded, straight, 10-12(-15) × 4-6 µm.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow, KC+ yellow, C−, Pd−; medulla K−, C−, Pd−; containing usnic acid.
Similar taxa
Its vivid-yellow thallus and black apothecia is reminiscent of certain species of Rhizocarpon.
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (4 August 2022). 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.