Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia dilatata Vain., Acta Soc. Fauna Fl. fenn 7 (7): 33 (1890).

Description : Flora (1985: 358).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ dingy yellow→dirty brownish, C−, Pd+ orange-red; containing atranorin, chloroatranorin; usnic acid, protocetraric acid, echinocarpic acid, conechinocarpic acid and ±secalonic acid A.

N: Northland to King Country. S: Nelson (St Arnaud). Most common in northern coastal habitats where it is sometimes a conspicuous epiphyte of trees and shrubs. Known also from Australia, Africa, India, Taiwan the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and North and South America (Swinscow & Krog 1988; Elix 1994p; Louwhoff & Elix 2000, 2002b; Kurokawa & Lai 2001; Elix & Schumm 2001; Aptroot 2002e; Nash & Elix 2002g; Wolseley et al. 2002).

Pantropical

Illustrations : Louwhoff & Elix (1999: 47, fig. 14); Brodo et al. (2001: 496, pl. 577).

Parmotrema dilatatum is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the coriaceous yellow-grey thallus; eciliate lobe margins; marginal soralia; and protocetraric and echinocarpic acids in the medulla.