Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sticta montagnei C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 284 (1855).

≡Ricasolia montagnei (C.Bab.) Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 1 (2): 373 (1860).

≡Stictina montagneana (C.Bab.) Shirley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland6: 21 (1889).

≡Lobaria montagnei (C.Bab.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 42 (1896).

=Stictina astictina Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 30 (1888).

≡Sticta astictina (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 33 (1896).

≡Pseudocyphellaria astictina (Nyl.) H.Magn., Acta Horti gothoburg. 14: 7 (1940).

=Ricasolia luridescens Stirt., Trans. N. Z. Inst. 30: 393 (1898).

≡Lobaria luridescens (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (3): 307 (1925)

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, Dr Andrew Sinclair – BM [fide Galloway & James (1980: 300)]. For notes on typification see Galloway (1988a: 196).

Stictina astictina. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, (probably Westport) on Leptospermum, Richard Helms 66 – H-NYL 33987 [fide Galloway & James (1980: 300)]. Isolectotype – WU.

Lobaria luridescens. Lectotype: New Zealand. Near Wellington, John Buchanan – BM [fide Galloway & James (1980: 300)]. For notes on typification see Galloway (1988a: 196).

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 452). See also Galloway (1988a: 196–197).

Chemistry : Methyl evernate, tenuiorin, methyl gyrophorate, evernic, hopane-6α,7β,22-triol, norstictic (tr.), stictic, cryptostictic (tr.), constictic, hypostictic (tr.) and hyposalazinic (tr.) acids.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is) to Cook Strait (Kapiti I.). S: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes), Westland (Greymouth) [map in Galloway (1988a: 198, fig. 98)]. Mainly an epiphyte of northern coastal forest trees and shrubs, in moderate shade to full sunlight, occasionally on decaying logs and rocks.

Endemic

Exsiccati : Lojka (1886: No. 114) [Nova Zelandia, leg. C. Knight sub Ricasolia montagnei – BM, G, M, UPS, W. Also No. 118 sub Ricasolia multifida – G.]

Illustration : Galloway (1988a: 195, fig. 97).

Pseudocyphellaria montagnei is characterised by: a white medulla; a green photobiont; minute, sparse, white pseudocyphellae on the lower surface which itself is often glabrous or largely devoid of tomentum conferring a pale, Lobaria -like appearance; laminal phyllidia often copiously developed and obscuring thallus; phyllidiate margins to the apothecia which have dark-brown to black discs and a red-brown to grey-brown granular epithecium turning violet-purple in K; and a complex chemistry related to those of P. durietzii, P. hookeri and P. physciospora and characterised by a wide range of depsides (including gyrophoric acid that gives a fleeting C+ red reaction to the upper surface when dry and especially also to the lower surface), hopane-triol and stictic acid metabolites. It may be parasitised by the lichenicolous fungus * Arthonia santessoniana (q.v.).