Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecanora subgelida Nyl., Compt Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. Paris, sér. D, 83: 89 (1876).

Holotype: New Zealand. Île Campbell, 1874, M. Filhol – H-NYL 23861.

Description : Flora (1985: 407).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C+ red; containing gyrophoric acid.

N: Taranaki (Mt Taranaki). S: Nelson (Mt Arthur), Southland (Mt Hodges, Dusky Sound). St: (Mt Allen). C: (Mt Dumas, Lyall Ridge, Mt Honey, Mt Azimuth). On subalpine–alpine rocks in scrub, peat bogs and grassland.

Endemic

Illustration : Lamb (1947: pl. VII, fig. 22).

Placopsis subgelida is characterised by: thick, shallowly convex lobes, gently scalloped or continuous, rather swollen margins, with development of shallow to deep cracks; a characteristic white, powdery pruinose upper surface which is also often scabrid (×10 lens) in patches; scattered, sessile apothecia with prominent, thick thalline margins concolorous with thallus; a hymenium 225–350 μm tall; and broadly ellipsoidal ascospores, 23–30 × 12–21 μm.