Pseudocyphellaria lividofusca
Family
Peltigeraceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
Brief description
Characterised by broadly rounded, entire-margined lobes; a smooth, coriaceous upper surface having prominent, scattered, white pseudocyphellae that are not associated with either isidia or phyllidia; a white medulla; a green or cyanobacterial photobiont; a densely tomentose, ochraceous-brown to brown-black lower surface, with prominent, conical-verruciform white pseudocyphellae; and a two-hopane chemistry.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (lat. 35 ºS) to Cook Strait. South Island: Nelson to Southland both E and W of the Main Divide, Stewart Island: (N coast to Port Pegasus), Chatham Islands. Auckland Islands.
Habitat
Coastal and inland in montane to subalpine habitats, s.l. to 1000 m. It is an epiphyte of coastal trees and shrubs and also occurs inland in lowland forest and subalpine scrub; rarely on limestone (Mt Hoary Head, Nelson) or coastal rocks. It prefers cool, humid conditions either alongside streams or rivers, or in areas where cloud cover is frequent and rainfall moderate to high and where there is sufficient light. Individuals exposed to full sun have thicker more coriaceous thalli, suffused red-brown, whereas those from shaded habitats are thinner and pale-green.
Detailed description
Thallus thick, coriaceous, orbicular to spreading, ± loosely attached, 5-10(-15) cm diam. Lobes rounded at apices, ± elongate-flabellate, contiguous to subimbricate, sinuses circular, margins entire, slightly thickened, shallowly notched or incised, sometimes subascendent. Upper surface bright lettuce-green to glaucous-green when wet, suffused brownish-red at apices, pale greyish- green or brownish when dry, undulate or ± plane, smooth, matt or shining, with small, white, punctate to raised white pseudocyphellae. Medulla white. Photobiont green. Lower surface tomentose to margins, pale buff or ochraceous-brown at margins, brown-black centrally. Pseudocyphellae numerous, round to irregular, white with a ± prominent margin. Apothecia sparse to moderate, submarginal, to 6 mm diam., disc concave to plane, red-brown, matt, epruinose, margins thin, pale, crenulate. Ascospores brown, 1-3-septate, 27-37 × 5-7(-10) µm.
Chemistry: 7β-acetoxyhopan-22-ol, hopane-7β,22-diol (tr.), hopane-15α,22-diol.
Also has a photosymbiodeme (cyanobacterial form) formerly referred to as Pseudocyphellaria knightii.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 August 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from Galloway (1985) and Galloway (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.