Megalospora knightii
Family
Megalosporaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
Brief description
Yellowish-green, rather thick thallus made up scattered to crowded verrucae, which can become papillate; sorediate. Apothecia scattered, 0.8-3.6 mm diam., disc plane to convex, brown, dull, sometimes slightly pruinose, margins prominent, thick, pale brown to yellowish, sometimes black, dull.
Distribution
North Island: North Auckland (Herekino) to Wellington.
Habitat
Mainly lowland and coastal in forest remnants. On Agathis australis, Cordyline australis, Myrsine australis, Phyllocladus trichomanoides, Prumnopitys ferruginea and Pseudopanax crassifolius, 100-500 m.
Detailed description
Thallus yellowish, rather thick (60-115 µm), with scattered to crowded verrucae, 0.2-0.5 mm diam., which can become papillate and to 0.5 mm tall, sorediate. Soralia small, 0.2-1.0 mm wide, at apices of verrucae, soredia 15-35 µm diam. Apothecia scattered, 0.8-3.6 mm diam., disc plane to convex, brown, dull, sometimes slightly pruinose, margins prominent, thick, pale brown to yellowish, sometimes black, dull. Epithecium orange-to chestnut-brown to 25 µm thick. Hymenium 180-250 µm tall, I+ blue. Ascospores 2-6 per ascus, 1-septate, slightly curved, 42-60 × 25-37 µm.
Chemistry: KC+ yellow, Pd-. Usnic acid and zeorin.
Similar taxa
Megalospora knightii differs from all other species of Megalospora with 1-septate spores by the broad layer of coarse crystals in the epithecium reacting K+ yellow. It differs from M. subtuberculosa in the verrucose-papillate thallus, and from M. campylospora in the absence of pannarin. It has 1-septate ascospores, 2–6 per ascus, 42–60 × 25–37 μm.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (25 June 2021). Information in the Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa 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.