Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Neofuscelia depsidella Elix, Mycotaxon 63: 424 (1997).

Holotype: New Zealand. Otago, Lake Wanaka, 0.5 km W of Glendhu Bluff, 300 m, on exposed rocks in pasture, 4.i.1982; J.A. Elix9842 – WELT.

Description : Thallus foliose, loosely to moderately adnate, 3–6 cm wide. Lobes imbricate to loosely entangled, sublinear to linear-elongate, subirregularly to subdichotomously branched, 1–3 mm wide. Upper surface yellowish brown to red-brown or dark-brown, flat, smooth and shining at apices, becoming dull, lacking isidia; older lobes becoming rugose, cracked and areolate. Medulla white. Lower surface dull, slightly wrinkled, black; rhizines moderately dense, simple or fasciculate, to 1.0 mm long, black. Apothecia scattered, sessile, 1–3 mm diam., disc concave to ±flat, dark reddish brown to brown-black; thalline exciple thin, margins entire. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 8–10 × 5–6 μm. Pycnidia numerous, immersed. Conidia bifusiform, 5–8 × 1 μm.

Chemistry : Cortex K−, HNO3+ dark blue-green; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing decarboxystenosporic acid (major), decarboxyanziaic acid (major), anziaic acid (minor), decarboxydivaricatic acid, decarboxy-2'- O -methyldivaricatic acid, decarboxynorimbricaric acid, decarboxyperlatolic acid, decarboxy-2'- O -methylnorimbricaric acid, and depsidellins A, B, and C (Elix & Wardlaw 1997).

S: Otago (W of Glendhu Bluff, Wanaka; Crown Range). On rocks in grassland, 300–1000 m.

Endemic

Illustration : Elix (1997b, 428, fig. 5 – as Neofuscelia depsidella).

Xanthoparmelia depsidella is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the loosely to moderately adnate thallus and a chemosyndrome of unique medullary depsides. This chemosyndrome comprises at least seven new depsides in substantial quantities, the structures of which appear to be based on that of decarboxystenosporic acid (Elix 1997b). It is a member of the X. pulla aggregate characterised by foliose thalli with variable morphology, a black lower surface, and the lack of isidia.