Usnea ciliifera
Synonyms
Usnea xanthophana Stirt.
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Kawerua, Great Barrier Island), Auckland (Rangitoto), South Auckland (Tokoroa, Whale Island), Wellington (Ruapehu, Tararua Range). South Island: Nelson (St Arnaud Range, Lake Rotoiti, Mt Mueller, Mt Haast), Marlborough (d’Urville Island), Canterbury (Lewis Pass, Arthur’s Pass, Cass, Woolshed Hill, Craigieburn Range, Governor’s Bush, Mt Peel), Otago (Mt Brewster, Matukituki Valley, Dart Valley, Rees Valley, Routeburn Valley, Key Summit, Silver Peaks, Mihiwaka, Mt Cargill, Flagstaff, Leith Valley, Boyd’s Bush, Maungatua), Southland (Cascade Creek, Eglinton Valley, Hauroko Burn Fiordland, Borland Saddle, Mavora Lakes, Longwood Range, West Dome, Waikaia Valley).
Habitat
On trunks and branches of forest trees, mainly a canopy species. Especially well-developed in Fuscospora forests east of the Main Divide in the South Island, and often visually arresting at treeline. Like U. capillacea - the two taxa are often sympatric - it is a mist species.
Detailed description
Thallus fruticose, erect or pendulous, 4-6(-10) cm long, pale yellow, yellowish-white or greenish-yellow, non-pigmented, not blackened at base, corticolous. Branches terete, 1-2.5 mm diam., tapering towards apices, branching sympodial, rather open, lateral fibrils at right angles to main branches, rather sparse, primary and secondary branches papillate, ± articulate-cracked both at branch points and between branches, without isidia, pseudocyphellae or soredia. Apothecia common, subterminal, to 5 mm diam., disc concave at first then plane, distinctly marginate, pinkish or yellowish with a fine, white pruina, margins with radiating, long, straight or flexuous, robust, ray-like branchlets, exciple smooth. Ascospores 10 × 6 µm.
Chemistry: Thallus K+ brownish or −; containing fumarprotocteraric and usnic acids.
Similar taxa
Similar to U. molliuscula, but distinguished from it by the more richly divided and entangled branches, the thicker cortex, fewer lateral fibrils, and by fumarprotocetraric acid in the medulla.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (1 May 2022). 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.