Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia melanobarbatica Esslinger, J. Hattori bot. Lab. 42: 124 (1977).

Holotype (fide Esslinger, 1977): New Zealand. Canterbury, Top Hut, Godley Peaks. H.H. Allan, CHR 160296.

Thallus appressed, moderately to tightly adnate, 4.5 cm diam., saxicolous. Lobes 1-2 mm broad, flat, short and rounded to slightly elongate, contiguous to subimbricate. Upper surface dark reddish-brown, paler at apices, smooth at apices, fissured and wrinkled centrally, ± dull throughout, without isidia. Lower surface pale tan to pale brown, ± smooth and dull, moderately rhizinate. Rhizines concolorous with lower surface or darker, to 0.2 mm long. Apothecia numerous, crowded, centrally sessile, ± flat, to 1.5 mm diam., margins entire or subcrenulate. Ascospores ellipsoid, 9-10.5 × 4.5-6 µm. Pycnidia common. Conidia bifusiform, 5.6 × 1 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-, HNO3± dark blue-green; medulla K-, C-, KC+ orange-yellow, Pd-. Barbatic acid and traces of 4-O-methylbarbatic acid.

S: Canterbury, known only from the type collection.

Endemic

N. melanobarbatica is the only Neofuscelia with barbatic acid as its major medullary constituent.