Sticta limbata (Sm.) Ach.
Lichen limbatus Sm. in Sm. et Sowerby, Engl. Bot. 16: 1104 (1803).
Thallus ± loosely attached or occasionally ± erect, anchored at one point, 0.5-2(-4) cm broad, corticolous. Lobes rounded to irregular, often distinctly monophyllous and ± cochleate, margins entire, eroded-sorediate. Soredia in marginal, linear soralia, also in scattered, laminal patches, blue-grey, granular. Upper surface grey to dull brown-grey or olive-brown, smooth or wrinkled, matt or glossy, somewhat coriaceous. Lower surface ± uniformly densely tomentose, pale yellow-brown at margins, darker centrally. Cyphellae small, scattered, flat, pale, whitish. Apothecia not seen.
N: North Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. Widespread though never abundant and only locally common in moist, humid areas in partial shade, mainly coastal and lowland, s.l. to 1000 m. On bark of trees and shrubs. Leptospermum is often a common substrate.
Cosmopolitan
S. limbata is characterised by the ± monophyllous habit, the brownish-grey, coriaceous, often rather glossy upper surface, a blue-green photobiont and linear, marginal soralia as well as scattered laminal soredia. It differs from S. sublimbata which has irregular, often imbricate lobes (not monophyllous) and linear, eroding soralia on the lower surface of the margins. It superficially resembles Peltigera ulcerata or sorediate phases of P. spuria.
