Sticta filix (Sw.) Nyl.
Lichen filix Sw., Meth. Musc.: 36 (1781).
Sticta filicina Ach., Meth. Lich.: 275 (1803).
S. laevigata Krempelh., Reise Oest. Freg. Novara Bot. 1: 118 (1870) tab. XIV, fig. 1.
Lectotype: New Zealand, Dusky Sound. G. Forster, UPS - Thunberg 29191! Isotypes in BM, S.
S. laevigata. Holotype: New Zealand, Nelson, 1859 F. Hochstetter 108, M 401/170!
Thallus foliose, ± erect or pendulous or spreading, to 5-12(-15) cm tall, firmly attached by a ± root-like holdfast, supporting a short (1-2 cm), thickened, terete or ± canaliculate stalk. Lobes palmate, often imbricate, complex, with a distinctly grooved midrib, rather fragile, often ± fenestrate, brittle when dry, margins dissected, sinuses circular, irregularly lobed or notched, appearing phyllidiate. Upper surface bright green to greenish-yellow or olive, smooth or slightly wrinkled, matt, grooved-canaliculate in mid-line of lobes, often dark brown to black at base of lobes and on basal stalk, internal cephalodia visible as raised, hemispherical lumps. Lower surface pale greenish-white, glabrous, shining at margins, yellowish to dark brown or blackening towards centre, midrib conspicuously raised, dark red-brown and often short-tomentose, tomentum rather variable, thick, a ± uniform dark brown or pale white felt, to a short, sparse, pale pubescence on central ribs. Cyphellae ± numerous, small, scattered, pock-like with a poorly defined margin, hardly raised, membrane of pit yellowish-brown. Apothecia sessile, scattered, often crowded towards margins, rarely at centre, 0.5-4 mm diam., disc red-brown, smooth, matt, concave at first, becoming plane to subconvex with age, margins thick, striate-crenulate, inflexed at first, pale brown or pinkish, occluded with age. Ascospores fusiform, colourless, 1-3-septate, 30-38(-45) × 9-11 µm.
N: S: St: Throughout, common in all forested areas, in light to moderate shade, on bark and rocks, often well-developed on forest floor, s.l. to 1500 m.
Endemic
S. filix is distinguished from other stalked species of Sticta with a green photobiont by the rather thin, fragile lobes, the much dissected margins and the prominent, raised midrib on the lower surface which is orange or red-brown to dark brown. It is a much larger plant than S. lacera with much broader lobes and with a much better-developed stalk. The species tolerates deep shade in moist, humid, forest habitats and although most commonly epiphytic, it grows on rocks drenched in spray from waterfalls and will even tolerate periodic inundation along streamsides. In such habitats it may incorporate a blue-green photobiont to form Dendriscocaulon associations ( James and Henssen, loc. cit. ).
It was the first lichen described and illustrated from New Zealand [Swartz Meth. Musc.: tab. 2, fig. 1† (1781)] and 18th century collections made by both George Forster, and Archibald Menzies (from Dusky Sound in 1791) are preserved in BM, E, UPS and in S. Swartz's fern-like Sticta acquired considerable renown amongst early lichenologists and it was splendidly illustrated in colour by Hoffmann [as Platisma filix - Descr. adumbr. Pl. Lich.: tab. 55, fig. 12 (1801)] and also by Sprengel [ Anleitung Kenntn. Gewächse 3: tab. 9, fig. 90 (1805) ‡], and Delise [ Mém. soc. linn. Calvados. Atlas: tab. 12, fig. 49 (1825)]. Most recently it was illustrated in colour (plate 33), by Martin and Child ["Lichens of New Zealand", p. 121 (1972)]. Acharius's nom. nov. S. filicina [ Meth. Lich.: 275 (1803)] based in part on Swartz's earlier S. filix from New Zealand as well as on Swartz material from Jamaica, was incorrectly used in 19th century accounts of New Zealand lichens [e.g., Babington, loc. cit.: 276 (1855); Hooker Handbk N.Z. Fl.: 568 (1867)]. Babington's comments on S. filix. (as S. filicina) in the first detailed account of New Zealand lichens [Babington, loc. cit.: 276 (1855)] are still apt today "... Hoffman's figure is so excellent, that little need be said of this species; the elongated stipes, the decompound and dissected, and very strongly costate, thallus, the elegantly coloured, ferrugineous, minutely tomentose under side, and minute urceolated cyphellae, distinguish it readily from every Lichen with which I am acquainted...".
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† It was also the first Southern Hemisphere lichen to be illustrated.
‡ An English translation of this by C.D.E. König was published in 1807 as "An introduction to the study of cryptogamous plants" pp. viii, 411, 10* J. White: London.
