Parmotrema cristiferum
Synonyms
Parmelia cristifera
Family
Parmeliaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Foliose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous/saxicolous habit; its large, grey-white thallus; abundant, linear, rather sinuous marginal soralia; an absence of marginal cilia; and the presence of salazinic acid in the medulla (K+ yellow→red).
Distribution
North Island: Northland to Wellington (Hutt Valley). South Island: Marlborough, Canterbury (Amberley Beach, Kelsey’s Bush, Waimate), Otago (Oamaru, Saddle Hill, Black Head, Dunedin).
Pantropical. A common and widespread tropical epiphyte.
Habitat
On bark and rock. Most common north of Taupō in coastal habitats but also reaching considerable size in northern forests on Fuscospora and Agathis.
Detailed description
Thallus orbicular to spreading, large, 10-25 cm diam., loosely attached, corticolous and saxicolous. Lobes broad, rounded 12-20 mm wide, margins sinuous, sorediate, ± involute, marginal cilia absent. Upper surface pale greenish-grey or greyish-white, smooth, matt, minutely maculate (×10 lens), becoming irregularly cracked with age. Soralia linear, soredia fine, farinose, white. Lower surface black with a broad, brown, naked marginal zone. Rhizines sparse, black, simple. Apothecia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow→dark-red, C−, Pd+ orange-red; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin, salazinic acid (major), and ±consalzinic acid (minor).
Similar taxa
Parmotrema cristiferum is a large, greyish-white lichen, characterised by abundant, linear, rather sinuous marginal soralia, an absence of marginal cilia and the presence of salazinic acid in the medulla. It resembles P. perlatum and P. reticulatum, all three being sympatric in some habitats. The two latter species however have prominent and numerous marginal cilia, and soralia which are often capitate-hooded or revolute and rarely linear-sinuous. P. perlatum also has a different chemistry. P. reticulatum is distinctly reticulate-cracked and not merely maculate as in P. cristiferum.
Substrate
Corticolous, saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (5 August 2021). 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.