Notoparmelia signifera
Synonyms
Imbricaria saxatilis var. signifera, Parmelia saxatilis var. signifera
Family
Parmeliaceae
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 thick, leathery thalli; the lack of soredia and isidia; and the presence of salazinic acid in the medulla. Although reasonably constant in morphology, specimens of Notoparmelia signifera show considerable variation in colour and texture, depending on the degree of exposure of the habitat. In damp, sheltered sites, lobes are thinner, larger and paler coloured, whereas in exposed habitats lobes are thicker, more crowded, lobular-incised, generally smaller, and much darker coloured.
Distribution
North Island: Kaimanawa Ranges. South Island: Nelson to Southland, both E and W of the Main Divide. Stewart Island: (Mt Anglem to Port Pegasus). Auckland Island. Campbell Island.
Notoparmelia signifera is the most commonly encountered Notoparmelia/Parmelia in the mountains of New Zealand.
Known also from SE Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Alpine-subalpine, from s.l. (Port Pegasus) to 2,500 m, saxicolous or terricolous (particularly common on schist outcrops and tors in subalpine to high-alpine sites on Central Otago mountains), rarely overgrowing prostrate vegetation on exposed alpine soils, but never on tree bark.
Detailed description
Thallus thick, coriaceous, orbicular to spreading, to 10 cm diam., closely to loosely attached, saxicolous or terricolous. Lobes narrow (5-10 mm wide), relatively short (to 25 mm long), often forming secondary, imbricate, clustered, ascending lobules centrally, margins entire to ± phyllidiate or lacerate, incised at apices, sinuous, often black and shining. Upper surface smooth, often wrinkled-convolute at centre, leathery, brownish-grey or reddish-brown or blackened, olive greenish-brown to red-brown at margins and there conspicuously white-maculate, mottled, pseudocyphellae evident towards lobe margins, sigmoid or forming a cracked reticulum of white lines in older parts. Lower surface smooth, black, moderately rhizinate. Rhizines black, simple or branched. Apothecia rare, subpedicellate, to 8 mm diam., disc red-brown, matt, plane or concave, imperforate, margins entire at first, becoming fissured with age, thalline exciple strongly maculate-cracked, pseudocyphellate. Ascospores ellipsoid, 10-14 × 7-8 µm.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow→red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, salazinic acid (major), consalazinic acid (minor) and ±lobaric acid (minor).
Similar taxa
The lack of soredia and isidia distinguish Notoparmelia signifera from Parmelia saxatilis and P. sulcata. It is distinguished from Notoparmelia protosignifera by the medullary chemistry (N. protosignifera has protocetraric and not salazinic acid); and from corticolous Notoparmelia tenuirima by the smaller ascospores, the paucity of pycnidia, the imperforate apothecial discs, the thicker thallus, smaller, crowded lobes with phyllidiate-lacerate margins, and a pattern of white maculae or pseudocyphellae at the margins, which do not expose medullary hyphae (Galloway & Elix 1983: 409). It is also exclusively saxicolous or terricolous.
Substrate
Saxicolous, terricolous, rarely overgrowing prostrate vegetation (never on bark)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Melissa Hutchison (1 May 2023). 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.
Galloway D.J.; Elix J.A. 1983: The lichen genera Parmelia Ach. and Punctelia Krog in Australasia. New Zealand Journal of Botany 21: 397-420.