Pseudephebe pubescens (L.) M.Choisy
Lichen pubescens L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1155 (1753).
Thallus prostrate, straggling, forming matts, closely attached to substrate, often dying from centre and forming rosettes, to 12 cm broad, rarely exceeding 1 cm in height, branching frequent from base, isotomic-dichotomous, occasionally isotomic-trichotomous, branches often inter-woven, terete to slightly dorsiventrally compressed, to 0.2 mm diam., usually concolorous but sometimes paler at base, cervine brown, dark brown to black, shining or occasionally matt, the whole thallus with a very wiry texture. Apothecia occasional, lateral, thalline exciple concolorous with thallus, smooth, dentate to ciliate marginally, disc matt, greyish-black or brown, plane but becoming convex with age, to 5.5 mm diam. Ascospores 7-12 × 6-8 µm. Pycnidia occasional, on tubercules, particularly frequent near axils, black, to 0.4 mm diam. Conidia 5-7 × 1 µm.
S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra.) east of the Main Divide to Otago (Remarkables and Central Otago mountains). St: (Mt Anglem). On rock in fellfield debris and on rock outcrops 900-2200 m.
Bipolar
P. pubescens is distinguished from P. minuscula by its ± terete branches, stouter habit and wider main stems. It is also a larger, more straggling plant. It commonly associates with Neuropogon acromelanus, N. ciliatus and N. subcapillaris, Usnea torulosa and Bryoria austromontana.
