Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Usnea articulata * [ssp.] tenerior Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 23 (1888).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Dunedin, 1861 W. Lauder Lindsay – H-NYL–36430 ["spec. original, J. Motyka, 1929 (Dr Orvo Vitikainen, pers. comm.)] (fide Motyka (1938: 536). Isolectotype – E. Syntype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington, 1882, C. Knight s.n. – N-NYL 36429. [ Nylander (1888: 23) originally described U. tenerior as a subspecies of U. articulata, citing Lindsay and Knight as collectors. In H-NYL there are two collections, one of W. Lauder Lindsay collected in Dunedin in 1861 (H-NYL 36430) and one collected by Charles Knight in 1882 (H-NYL 36429) and presumably from the environs of Wellington. The subspecies was raised to specific rank by Hue (1890: 272) and the basionym lectotypified by Motyka (1937: 436) on Lauder Lindsay's Dunedin specimen. A procedure not noticed in Galloway (1985a: 602) where the Lindsay specimen in Helsinki is erroneously treated as holotype.]

Description : Flora (1985: 602).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow→ red; containing usnic and norstictic acids.

N: South Auckland (Lake Rotomahana, Waiotapu Valley), Wellington (Ruapehu, Rangitikei Gorge, Wellington). S: Marlborough (Mt Fyffe), Canterbury (Banks Peninsula), Otago (Dunedin, Akatore). Lowland to subalpine, on native vegetation. Still very much under-collected.

Endemic

Usnea tenerior is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the erect to somewhat straggling, 2–5 cm long, yellow-white to greenish thallus, faveolate or indented in basal parts; terete (1–1.5 mm diam.), inflated branches, articulate-cracked at joints; an absence of isidia, papillae, pseudocyphellae, soredia, spinules or tubercles; crowded, terminal or subterminal apothecia with rather sparse marginal cilia; and norstictic acid (K+ yellow→red) in the medulla.