Parmotrema mellissii
Synonyms
Parmelia mellissii
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous habit; the loosely adnate, membranaceous thallus; the long, abundant marginal cilia; the crenate to dissected-isidiate lobe margins; the terete, brown-tipped, isidia which become granular-sorediate and ciliate; and the presence of alectoronic acid and α-collatolic acid in the medulla (UV+ blue-white).
Distribution
North Island: Northland (Three Kings Islands Hokianga, Whangarei), Auckland (Piha, Karekare, Waitakere Ranges).
Pantropical. Known also from Australia, Africa, Macaronesia, St Helena, India, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and North, Central and South America.
Habitat
On trees and shrubs in northern coastal forest.
Detailed description
Thallus orbicular to spreading, loosely attached, 6-15 cm diam., corticolous, rarely saxicolous. Lobes rounded, 5-12 mm wide, margins crenate to dissected-isidiate, ciliate, cilia numerous, black, 1-3 mm long. Upper surface smooth, pale grey to whitish, matt, slightly reticulate-cracked, isidiate, especially at or near margins, or sorediate-isidiate, isidia soon becoming granular and sorediate. Isidia at first small, simple, terete, delicate, brown-tipped, becoming granular-sorediate and ciliate, cilia black, to 3 mm tall. Soralia marginal, derived from isidia, capitate or glomerulate, eventually becoming recurved. Lower surface black, with a naked, tan or whitish, marginal zone. Rhizines central, black, simple. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K−, C−, KC+ red, Pd−, UV+ blue-white; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, alectoronic acid and α-collatolic acid.
Substrate
Corticolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 August 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from Galloway (1985) and 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.