Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Thallus crustose, uniform, closely attached, areolate to subsquamulose, sometimes with protruding marginal lobes though margins generally effigurate to indistinct, yellow-white to yellow-grey, sometimes rather glossy, without pruina. Apothecia immersed at first becoming sessile, 0.4–1.2 mm diam. Thalline margin concolorous with thallus, thin, even, crenulate to verrucose; disc pale to dark red-brown, intensely red-brown to orange-red when moist, not pruinose. Amphithecium with large crystals, not dissolving in K (pulicaris -type). Epithecium 10–15 μm thick, reddish brown, the pigment not dissolving in K, with many small crystals (pulicaris -type). Hymenium colourless, 55–75 μm tall. Asci clavate, 45–65 × 10–16 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 8–13 × 5–8 μm.

Chemistry : Thallus and apothecial margins: K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow-orange; containing atranorin (major), ±chloroatranorin (minor).

N: Auckland (Cornwall Park). S: Canterbury (Lowry Peaks Ra., Port Hills, Banks Peninsula, Mt Peel, Rangitata Valley), Otago (Lake Wanaka, near Alexandra, Raggedy Ra., Mitchell's Cottage, Symes Road). On siliceous rocks in rather dry, semi-arid habitats, occasionally on lakeside rocks (Wanaka). Associating with yellow and brown species of Acarospora, Candelariella vitellina, Caloplaca amylacea, Parmelia sulcata, Physcia caesia, Teloschistes velifer and species of Xanthoparmelia (brown forms). Known also from North and South America, South Africa and Australia (Lumbsch 1994; Becker 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Lumbsch & Elix 2004; Ryan et al. 2004b: 221–222).

Western Pacific

Illustrations : Lumbsch (1994: 94, fig. 59A–D); Guderley (1999: 199, fig. 17B, C); Ryan et al. (2004b: 221, fig. 32).

Lecanora galactiniza is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the crowded, red-brown apothecia, the epithecium with small crystals (L. pseudistera has large crystals); and atranorin in the medulla (L. pseudistera has atranorin and the 2- O- methylperlatolic acid chemosyndrome). Differences between L. galactiniza and the related L. pseudistera (q.v.), are discussed in detail by Lumbsch (1994: 95)