Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Hawdon River, along track to Woolshed Hill, on trunk of fallen Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides in windthrow, 12 xi.1980, L. Tibell 9555 – BM. Isotype – CHR.

Description : Flora (1985: 287–288).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, norstictic acid, and an unidentified orange pigment (K+ purple); apothecial margins K+ purple-black.

S: Canterbury (Hawdon River, Klondyke Corner upper Waimakariri River, Craigieburn Forest Park). A rather restricted epiphyte of mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides).

Endemic

Menegazzia pulchra is characterised by: the corticolous habit; 8-spored asci; bright orange-red apothecial margins; and norstictic acid (K+ yellow-red) in the medulla. First collected by A.J. Healy in 1962 from mountain beech in the Craigieburn Ra., where it seems best-developed. It appears to be most closely related to M. pertransita.