Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Cladina confusa (R.Sant.) Follmann & Ahti, Philippia 4: 321 (1981).

=Cladonia leptoclada Abbayes, Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 16: 75 (1947).

≡Cladina leptoclada (Abbayes) D.J.Galloway, N. Z. J. Bot. 21: 192 (1983).

Description : Flora (1985: 99 – as Cladina leptoclada).

Chemistry : Two chemodemes present: (1) Usnic and perlatolic acids ±ursolic acid; (2) Perlatlolic acid alone (Ruoss & Ahti 1989: 42).

N: Three Kings Is to Wellington (Rimutaka Ra.). S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Mt Gloriana Spenser Mts), Marlborough (Mt Tapuae-o-uenuku Inland Kaikoura Ra.), Canterbury (Foggy Peak Torlesse Ra., Mt Hutt, Ben Ohau Ra., Kirkliston Ra.), Otago (St Marys Ra., Old Man Ra., Rock & Pillar Ra., East Dome Garvie Mts), Southland (Borland Bog, The Wilderness, Awarua Bay). St: Ch: C: (Perserverance Harbour, Tucker Cove, Homestead River). Very widely distributed in all parts, s.l. to 2000 m. In subalpine peat bogs and in grassland or amongst Leptospermum and Dracophyllum in heathland. Known also from East and South Africa, Madagascar, Central and South America (it is the most frequent species of subgen. Cladina in the neotropics), and SE Australia and Tasmania (Ahti 1961, 1984, 2000; Ruoss & Ahti 1989; Ahti & Aptroot 1992; Aptroot 2002e; Archer 1992b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Palaeotropical

Exsiccati : Vězda (1985: No. 2066 – as Cladina confusa); (1997d: 2, No. 295).

Illustrations : Ahti (1961: pl. 9 – as Cladonia leptoclada, pl. 10 – as Cladonia confusa; 2000: 59, fig. 26 – as Cladina confusa f. confusa); Martin & Child (1972: 57 – as Cladonia leptoclada); Stenroos (1988b: 211, fig. 2 – as Cladina confusa); Malcolm & Malcolm (1989: 96, 97 – as Cladina leptoclada; 2000: 36, 98, 101 – as Cladina confusa; 2001: 64 – as Cladina confusa); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 97, 113, 158 – as Cladina confusa); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 45 – as Cladina confusa).

Cladonia confusa is characterised by: mat-forming podetia 2–6 cm tall; a distinctly arachnoid surface; rounded, distinct heads greenish to greenish yellow; mainly trichotomous branching with axils distinctly perforate; terminal, convex, dark-brown apothecia; and perlatolic and usnic acids as major secondary metabolites. Usnic-acid-deficient specimens (from Flagstaff and from Deceit Peaks, Port Pegasus, Stewart I.) were earlier referred to Cladina confusa f. bicolor (Müll.Arg.) Ahti (Ahti 1984; Archer 1992), but are presently regarded as a chemodeme of C. confusa.