Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sticta colensoi C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 274 (1855).

≡Sticta urvillei var. colensoi (C.Bab.) Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 1 (2): 360 (1860).

≡Lobaria colensoi (C.Bab.) Trevis., Lichenotheca veneta exs. 75 (1869).

=Sticta colensoi var. pinnatifida C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 274 (1855).

≡Sticta colensoi f. pinnatifida (C.Bab.) Stizenb., Flora 81: 177 (1895).

≡Lobaria colensoi f. pinnatifida (C.Bab.) Hellb., Bih. K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 41 (1896).

=Pseudocyphellaria neozelandica C.W.Dodge, Nova Hedwigia 19: 468 (1971) ["1970"].

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, J.D. Hooker – BM [fide Galloway & James (1980: 294)].

Sticta colensoi var. pinnatifida. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, W. Colenso – BM.

Pseudocyphellaria neozelandica. New Zealand. South I., Canterbury, road to Arthur's Pass, on Nothofagus, C.W. Dodge 61-B10 – FH.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 431). See also Galloway (1988a: 95–97) and Galloway et al. (2001b: 55).

Chemistry : Pulvinic acid, pulvinic dilactone, calycin, polporic acid, 2α,3β,22α-triacetoxystictane, 22α-hydroxystictane-3-one, 2α,3β-diacetoxystictane-22-ol, stictane-3β,22α-diol, 2α-acetoxystictane-3β,22α-diol, 3β-acetoxystictane-2α,22α-diol and stictane-2α,3β,22α-triol.

N: Auckland (Rangitoto I.) S to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland, both E and W of the Main Divide, coastal and inland. S: (Mt Anglem to Port Pegasus) [map in Galloway (1988a: 98, fig. 39)]. A common epiphyte of trees and shrubs in a variety of habitats, e.g. northern coastal forest, lowland podocarp-hardwood forest, upland Nothofagus forest, Leptospermum scrub, and lowland to subalpine scrub, s.l. to 1500 m. Although most luxuriantly developed on tree trunks, it also colonises twigs and small branches. Preferring medium-to-high light intensities it is thus best developed in open rainforests, at forest margins, and in the forest canopy. Extremely large specimens are known (to 30 cm diam.), and it is widely used for craft dyeing. Known also from E New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania (Galloway et al. 2001b: 55; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Babington (1855: pl. CXXIII – as Sticta colensoi); Martin & Child (1972: 117, plate 29); Wilson (1978: 279, pl. 544); Galloway (1985a: fig.1; 1988a: 96, fig. 38); Malcolm & Malcolm (1989: 124; 2000: 88; 2001: 30); Wilson (1996: 359, pl. 563); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 106, 135); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 115); Flora of Australia (2001: xviii, pl. 32).

Pseudocyphellaria colensoi is characterised by: linear-elongate to broadly rounded lobes, with irregular notched, ragged and often deeply incised margins; an undulate, pitted to reticulate-faveolate upper surface with marginal and laminal isidia scattered in groups or lines on ridges and thallus breaks; flattened, bifurcate to coralloid, verruciform-granular isidia abrading apically and appearing yellow; a yellow medulla; a green photobiont; a wrinkled to bullate, thinly tomentose lower surface with scattered yellow pseudocyphellae; large, pedicellate apothecia with eroded-isidiate margins; colourless to brown, 1–3-septate ascospores, 27–41 × 9–11 μm; and a chemistry dominated by stictanes giving a yellow acetone extract. It may be parasitised by the lichenicolous fungus * Scutula miliaris (q.v.).