Xanthomendoza novozelandica
Common name
New Zealand sunburnt lichen
Synonyms
Xanthoria novozelandica Hillmann, Oxneria novozelandica (Hillmann) S.Kondratyuk & Kärnefelt
Family
Teloschistaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; rather small, rounded to irregular thalli, 1–1.5(–3.5) cm diam., with rather closely attached lobes, 1–3 mm long and to 1 mm wide, distinctly rhizinate at their margins; rhizines white, short, 40–250 μm long, often projecting beyond margins, and also found projecting from the thalline exciple below the disc of older apothecia; apothecia 0.6–2.6(–3.6) mm diam.; ascospores (13–)15–16(–20) × 7–8(–9) μm; conidia 3.8–4.1 × 0.9–1 μm; paraphyses inflated at their tips and filled with oil cells.
Distribution
North Island: Taranaki (Stratford). South Island: Marlborough, Canterbury (Oxford, Godley Valley, Lake Ohau), Otago (Matukituki Valley, Teviot Valley, Pomahaka River, Taieri River, Brighton), Southland (Waikaia, West Dome, Waituna Lagoon, Tiwai Point). Probably more widely distributed.
Habitat
A corticolous species growing mainly on twigs and small branches of both native (Carmichaelia compacta, Hoheria angustifolia, Olearia odorata, O. paniculata, Sophora microphylla) and introduced (Acer pseudoplatanus, Crataegus monogyna, Cytisus scoparius, Fagus sylvatica, Malus ×domestica, Pinus pinaster, Salix fragilis) trees and shrubs. It is generally a small but regular component of the prominent orange-yellow “Xanthorion” association developed on introduced roadside trees and scrub (mainly Cytisus scoparius) where it associates with Teloschistes chrysophthalmus, T. velifer and X. parietina and with the grey or grey-green species Physcia adscendens, P. jackii, Ramalina celastri and R. glaucescens. Other lichens associating with X. novozelandica include: Candelaria concolor, Candelariella reflexa, Haematomma babingtonii, Hyperphyscia adglutinata, Lecanora carpinea, L. flavidomarginata, L. symmicta, Lecidella eleaochroma, Melanelia inactiva, Phaeophyscia orbicularis, and Punctelia subalbicans. Its small size, and the fact that it appears to be readily overgrown or displaced by its larger, faster-growing associates, has led to its being very much under-collected. It is not at all a rare species as earlier recorded.
Detailed description
Thallus foliose, orbicular, loosely attached, 1-5 cm diam., corticolous. Lobes short, 1-3 mm long and to 1 mm wide, margins crenulate, imbricate. Upper surface yellow or yellowish-green or greyish-green, matt, epruinose. Lower surface white, rhizinate. Rhizines short, white, sub-marginal, of horizontal, white fibrils, projecting beyond margins. Apothecia numerous, covering most of thallus, 1-3 mm diam., pedicellate, disc plane to subconvex, yellow-orange, margins thin, entire, concolorous with thallus. Ascospores 11-13 × 6-8 µm. Pycnidia globose, 200 µm diam., singly in prominent orange warts on upper surface. Conidia cylindrical, 3 × 0.8 µm.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ purple; containing parietin, teloschistin, fallacinal, and parietinic acid.
Similar taxa
Xanthomendoza novozelandica is a rather constant species throughout its range in New Zealand and like species of Xanthoria (q.v.), it varies in colour depending on the light regime of the substratum, though generally it is yellow-grey or yellow-green. Similar to X. parietina but with a larger thallus (to 10 mm diam., lobes 0.5 mm wide) and with some horizontal and submarginal white rhizines.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (19 January 2024). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from Galloway (1985) & 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.