Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Physcia ligulata Körb., Abhandl. schles. Ges. vaterl. Cult. 2: 30 (1862).

=Parmelia aurea A.Rich., Voy. Astrolabe Bot.: 23 (1832) non Sprengel [Syst.Veg. 4 (1): 298 (1827)].

Description : Flora (1985: 619).

Chemistry : Parietin.

K: (Milne Islet, Macauley I., Raoul I.), N: Three Kings Is, to Wellington (Pencarrow Head). S: Nelson to Southland (Howell's Point), St: (Christmas Village to Port Pegasus). Ch: Sn: A: Xanthoria ligulata is a high-light species, most commonly found on coastal rocks (rarely on driftwood) above high-tide level where it forms a conspicuous yellow zone above a white lichen zone (dominated by Pertusaria and Rinodina) and where it associates with species of Caloplaca, Phaeophyscia and Heterodermia (the latter mainly in northern coastal habitats – see Hayward & Hayward 1973a, 1973b, 1974a, 1974b, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 [as Xanthoria elegans], 1984 [as Xanthoria elegans], 1986; Hayward et al. 1975, 1981, 1986; Hayward & Wright 1977; Galloway & Hayward 1987; Hayward & Hollis 1993). It also occurs inland in Central Otago at 600 m on schist rock. It also colonises concrete, roof tiles, fibrolite, brick and mortar. The relationship of X. ligulata to the corticolous X. filsonii (Elix 1988) still needs detailed study. It is an Australasian species very widely distributed in New Zealand from the Kermadecs and Three Kings island groups in the north to Fiordland (Murray 1963), Stewart I., the Snares Is and the Auckland Is (Fineran 1969; Hayward & Lumbsch 1992) in the south, with a latitudinal range from 29º15's to 47º13's. Also known in many coastal habitats in Australia (Filson 1996; McCarthy 2003c, 2006) and possibly more widely distributed in the South Pacific.

Australasian

Illustrations : Richard (1833: tab. 8, fig.1); Filson (1969: 111, pl. 13 as Xanthoria ectanea); Martin & Child (1972: 122, pl. 34; as Xanthoria parietina); Filson & Rogers (1979: pl. 16 D; as Xanthoria ectanea); Australasian Lichenology 43 (1998: front cover); Malcolm & Malcolm (1989: 89, 110, 111; 2000: 23, 54, 93); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 110, 151); McCarthy & Malcolm (2004: 60).

Exsiccati : Vězda (1997c: No. 282).

Xanthoria ligulata is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; a rosette-forming to irregularly spreading thallus developed on saxicolous substrata; lobes are subdichotomously to irregularly branched, mainly convex, 0.1–1.2(–1.6) mm wide, 3–5(–8) mm long, ±discrete at margins, often widely separated to ±contiguous, imbricate centrally; margins are entire, noticeably downturned, apices rounded or shallowly incised, somewhat thickened, often with small, sparse to numerous, subapical lobules or branchlets; and the upper surface is matt, smooth or ±scabrid in parts, coarsely undulate-plicate, coriaceous not faveolate or pitted, deep yellow to orange or orange-red. Xanthoria ligulata varies quite widely in thallus size but less so in other main characters.