Pseudocyphellaria crocata
Synonyms
Lichen crocatus L.
Family
Peltigeraceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
Not Evaluated
Brief description
Characterised by rather variable lobes; an undulate to densely reticulate-faveolate upper surface; a white medulla; a cyanobacterial photobiont; yellow soralia (both laminal and marginal) on the upper surface; yellow pseudocyphellae on the lower surface; and a complex chemistry of depsides, hopane triterpenoids, depsidones and yellow pigments.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands) to Wellington. South Island: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes) to Southland (Bluff Hill). Stewart Island: (Mt Anglem to Table Hill). Chatham Islands. Snare Islands. Auckland Islands. Campbell Island.
The most widespread species in the genus, it is known from Great Britain, West Scandinavia, Macaronesia, St Helena, South Africa, Madagascar, Réunion, Prince Edward Island., India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Hawai’i, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Solomon Island, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Galápagos Island, Juan Fernández, North, Central and South America and Australia.
Habitat
Throughout, widespread and common, on rocks in open grassland, and on twigs or bark of lowland trees and shrubs or at treeline in subalpine habitats, also on roadside rocks and occasionally on rock walls in parks and gardens, s.l. to 1950 m. It is rarely seen in areas of high rainfall or high cloud cover, preferring drier, open habitats exposed to full sun.
Detailed description
Thallus 5-7(-10) cm diam., rigid, lobate, attached centrally, margins mainly free. Lobes ± broadly rounded to deeply laciniate, margins partly imbricate, apices rounded or incised, crenulate to sinuous, often subascendent, not isidiate or phyllidiate. Upper surface pale brownish-yellow with greenish tint, to red-brown or dark chocolate brown, ± densely reticulate-faveolate, ridges strongly defined, lacunae deep or shallow, shining, ridges with ± numerous low warts bursting into yellow soredia, often confluent and spreading, usually smaller or lacking at margins. Medulla white. Photobiont blue-green. Lower surface densely tomentose to margins, pale ochraceous-buff at margins, dark brown to blackish centrally, sometimes margins ± reticulate with yellowish-buff ridges and bullae visible. Pseudocyphellae yellow, scattered, sparse to ± frequent, 0.2-0.4 mm diam., ± sunk in tomentum, punctiform near margins. Apothecia rare, 1-2 mm wide, sessile on ridges, disc deep red-brown or blackish, occasionally faintly pruinose, concave to plane, margins thin, pale reddish-brown, ± smooth to wrinkled. Ascospores 1-septate, (18-)22-30 × 5-9(-12) µm.
Chemistry: Tenuiorin, methyl gyrophorate, gyrophoric acid (tr.), hopane-7β,22-diol, hopane-6α,7β,22-triol, 7β-acetoxyhopan-6α,22-diol (tr.), 6α-acetoxyhopan-7β,22-diol (tr.), physciosporin (tr.), norstictic (tr.), stictic, cryptostictic (tr.), and constictic acids, pulvinic acid, pulvinic dilactone and calycin.
Similar taxa
Pseudocyphellaria crocata is related to P. neglecta but distinguished from it by the entire margins which lack phyllidia. It is also much less fertile.
An aggregate taxon of many similar un-named species.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous, terricolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (24 February 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.