Gowardia nigricans
Common name
Gray witch’s hair
Synonyms
Alectoria nigricans, Cornicularia ochroleuca ß nigricans
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the terricolous habit; the erect to decumbent, rather straggling growth form; the terete to basally compressed branches which are dark-brown to black at the apices and pale pinkish to pale fawnish brown towards the base; pseudocyphellae (use ×10 lens) on mature branches, elongate, fusiform, white, to 0.8 mm long, plane, concave or subconvex; and the fleeting KC+ rose and C+ rose reaction. It frequently stains herbarium packets brown on storage.
Distribution
North Island: Gisborne (Mt Hikurangi), Wellington (Kaimanawa Ranges, Ruahine Ranges, Tararua Ranges). South Island: Nelson (Cobb Valley, Mt Arthur, St Arnaud Range, Mt Peel, Crimea Range), Canterbury (Craigieburn Range) southwards to the mountains of Fiordland, though mainly occurring on drier ranges E of the Main Divide, and throughout the Central Otago ranges. Stewart Island/Rakiura: (Mt Anglem). Campbell Island: (Mt Honey).
It is a circumpolar species in the Northern Hemisphere and also in the Southern Hemisphere where it is known from Tierra del Fuego, Tasmania, New South Wales, The Falkland Island, South Georgia, South Orkney Island, South Shetland Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Habitat
On soil and rock and overgrowing mosses, subalpine to high-alpine, in exposed cushion vegetation and fellfield, 1000–2500 m. Often a dominant component in subalpine Sphagnum bogs where it forms extensive swards in lichenfield, together with clumps of Thamnolia, Cetraria, Cladonia and Cladia, or developed in fellfield and on windswept soils on the exposed Central Otago tops where it associates with Solorina crocea, Brigantiaea fuscolutea, Tetramelas confusus etc.
Detailed description
Thallus erect sometimes becoming decumbent, prostrate and straggling, but then erect at the base, 5-10 cm tall, branching irregular to subdichotomous. Branches terete, becoming compressed basally, slightly faveolate, to 1.5 mm diam., surface matt, rarely shining, pink to pale brown towards base, dark brown to black towards apices, sometimes dark brown to black throughout, lateral spinules, soralia and apothecia unknown in New Zealand material. Pseudocyphellae sparse to abundant, conspicuous on median and thicker branches, elongate, fusiform, white, to 0.8 mm long, plane, concave or subconvex.
Chemistry: Cortex and medulla K+ faint yellow, KC+ rose (fading fast), C+ rose (fading fast). Pd+ yellow; containing alectorialic acid and barbatolic acid (tr.).
Similar taxa
Usnea torulosa appears similar.
Substrate
Terricolous
Etymology
nigricans: Blackish
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (17 January 2022). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985, 2007).
References and further reading
Galloway DJ. 1985. Flora of New Zealand Lichens. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 662 p.
Galloway DJ. 2007. Flora of New Zealand Lichens. Revised 2nd edition in two volumes (Vol. 1 pp 1–1006; Vol. 2 pp 1007–2261). Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, NZ. 2261 p.