Coccocarpia erythroxyli
Synonyms
Coccocarpia aurantiaca, Coccocarpia cronia var. aurantiaca, Coccocarpia molybdaea var. aurantiaca, Lecidea erythroxyli, Pannaria aurantiaca, Solorina aurantiaca
Family
Coccocarpiaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the ±wide lobes; a lack of isidia; and the large, irregular, adnate apothecia.
In New Zealand populations there is considerable variation in the colour of the apothecial disc and the rhizines, but such variation is of no taxonomic significance. In older thalli small regenerating lobules or phyllidia are commonly seen.
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands, Radar Bush to Red Mercury Island), Auckland (Rangitoto Island, Waitakere Ranges), South Auckland (Mangaotaki Valley, Waimea Stream), Hawke’s Bay (Kuripapango), Wellington (Kapiti Island, Rimutaka Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes, Anatoki River, St Arnaud Ranges, Cobb Ridge), Westland (Kumara), Canterbury (Hope River, Waihi Gorge), Otago (Silver Stream. Taieri), Southland (Cascade Creek). Stewart Island: Port Pegasus.
Known also from Portugal, Macaronesia, Morocco, West, East and South Africa, Indian Ocean Islands (Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius), India, Asia, Indonesia, Alaska, southern USA, Mexico, Central and South America, Galapagos Islands, Hawai’i, Philippines, Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and Australia – the most widespread species in the genus.
Habitat
An epiphyte of twigs or small branches or bark of trees and shrubs, especially Coprosma, Leptospermum and Metrosideros, and on nikau bark (Rhopalostylis sapida) (rarely on rock) in warm, humid habitats, s.l. to 1000 m.
Detailed description
Thallus ± orbicular, to 8 cm diam. Lobes 0.3-0.7(-1.0) cm wide, adjacent and often imbricate, broadly cuneate to flabellate, apices rotund. Upper surface smooth, matt or shining, without isidia, lobes sometimes with distinct, transverse, concentric ridges. Rhizines numerous, pale to bluish-black (then often white-tipped), sometimes projecting beyond margins. Apothecia ± frequent, ± adnate, to 0.6 cm diam., orbicular at first, becoming irregular with age, disc pale brown-red to black, short, white hairs projecting from disc margins. Ascospores 9-12 × 3-4 µm.
Similar taxa
Degelia gayana can appear similar but that species has light reddish-brown/orange apothecia that have a pale proper margin and are concave at first, then become plane or convex with age.
Substrate
Corticolous, rarley saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (23 December 2021). 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.