Flora of New Zealand Series

P. neozelandica (Dodge) D. Galloway et P. James, Lichenologist 16: 93 (1984).

Steinera neozelandica Dodge, Nova Hedwigia 19: 461 (1971).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Woolshed Hill. Growing over mosses on rock in screefield. L. Visch 78, CANU!

Thallus foliose-lobate, closely attached in neat ± regular rosettes, 0.5-4 cm diam., without a marginal prothallus, in sandy soil among mosses. Lobes cuneate-flabellate, 0.5-2 mm wide, contiguous or imbricate, margins rounded to ± incised, slightly thickened, appearing ± placodioid, somewhat gnarled-glomerulate when encircling moss stems. Upper surface pale grey-fawn to ± olivaceous, matt, often fissured from centre to margins, smooth or ± plicate-ridged, without isidia, pruina or soredia. Lower surface whitish, closely intermingled with substratum, without rhizines. Apothecia sessile, closely appressed, disc plane or subconvex, 0.3-0.7 mm diam., dark red-brown, matt, epruinose, margins persistent, rarely excluded, somewhat flexuous, concolorous or slightly darker than disc. Ascospores simple, ellipsoid, thin-walled, smooth, 12-14 × 4-5 µm.

S: Nelson (Mt Owen), Canterbury (Woolshed Hill), Otago (Coronet Peak). On subalpine - alpine soils, growing admixed with mosses (Grimmia, Rhacomitrium) 900- 1800 m. Still poorly collected.

Endemic

P. neozelandica is the only species in the genus in New Zealand found above treeline. On both Mt Owen and Coronet Peak it associates with the bipolar lichen Pannaria hookeri, and on Mt Owen with the bipolar Solorina spongiosa.