Menegazzia inflata (Hillmann) P.James & D.J.Galloway
* Account prepared by P.W. James (BM).
Parmelia inflata Hillmann, Feddes Repert. 48: 7 (1940).
Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Mt Maungatua, summit grassland. H.H. Allan 1936, CHR 162981!
Thallus irregularly rosette-forming to ± straggling, decumbent, 8-12(-20) cm diam., loosely attached, terricolous or amongst basal branches of subalpine shrubs or tussocks. Lobes 1-5 cm long, 4-8 mm wide, tubular-inflated, hollow, ± terete, rarely flattened, sometimes ± erect, more usually decumbent, sparsely dichotomously branched, without adventitious lobules, upper surface smooth, whitish or spotted black, with ± extensive blackened patches, apices brownish, matt. Perforations large 1-2.5 mm diam., rather sparse, not sorediate. Lower surface black or white-maculate, wrinkled, eperforate. Apothecia rare, pedicellate, cupuliform, 0.5-5 mm diam., disc shining, red-brown, epruinose, concave to plane to convex-deformed, exciple shining, wrinkled-faveolate, margins crenate-striate, concolorous with thallus. Ascospores 2 per ascus, 30-33(-45) × 18-20 µm, wall 3 µm thick. Chemistry: Stictic, constictic, norstictic (tr.) and menegazziaic acids and an accessory substance; medulla K+ yellow → orange, C-, KC+ orange, Pd+ orange.
N: Wellington (Ruahine Ra.). S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra.) to Southland (Dusky Sound, Fiordland) close to or west of the Main Divide, eastwards to foothill ranges of Canterbury and Otago. In alpine or subalpine grasslands. St: (Mt Allen).
Endemic
M. inflata is a very distinctive species often forming loose, straggling, entangled tufts or patches in tussocks (Chionochloa spp.) or at the base of subalpine shrubs (species of Dracophyllum and Hebe especially). The tubular lobes are vermiform and variously blackened or occasionally pure white. It is not easily mistaken for any other species in the genus.
