Flora of New Zealand Series

C. sorocheilum (Vainio) W.L. Culb. et C.F. Culb., Bryologist 84: 292 (1981).

Parmelia sorocheila Vainio, Hedwigia 38: 123 (1899).

Thallus loosely attached, to 10 cm diam., straggling, corticolous rarely saxicolous. Lobes narrow (4-8 mm wide), dichotomously branching, strap-shaped, subcanaliculate, margins ciliate, cilia conspicuous, black, long, dichotomously branched. Upper surface greyish-green, smooth, matt, often finely maculate (×10 lens), sorediate at apices, soredia fine, floury, white, becoming grey-black with age, in terminal or subterminal, hooded or revolute soralia. Lower surface shining, black, wrinkled, pale brown towards apices, ± distinctly channelled. Rhizines sparse, black, simple to squarrosely branched. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry: Thallus K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Salazinic and atranorin.

N: South Auckland (King Country) to Wellington. S: Nelson (Lake Rotoiti) to Southland (Lillburn Valley). A: Ant: A characteristic twig species frequently on divaricating shrubs in successional habitats. Still poorly collected. Often associated with species of Physcia, Ramalina and Teloschistes.

Palaeotropical