Flora of New Zealand Series

P. poculifera (Müll. Arg.) D. Galloway et P. James, Lichenologist 12: 301 (1980).

Sticta poculifera Müll. Arg., Flora 65: 304 (1882).

Thallus orbicular to spreading, often free at margins, 5-10(-12) cm diam. Lobes laciniate-elongate, imbricate, margins wavy, crisped, minutely notched or incised, ± isidiate. Upper surface bright lettuce-green, tinged brownish at apices when wet, pale greenish-grey when dry, undulate, smooth, matt, minutely white-pubescent towards lobe apices, often faintly scabrid in patches. Medulla yellow. Photobiont green. Lower surface whitish to pale yellowish, suffused pinkish in parts, very finely tomentose to margins, tomentum sparse, short, white, soft. Pseudocyphellae scattered, yellow, effigurate to rounded, to 1.5 mm wide, flat. Apothecia 2-8mm diam., marginal or submarginal, distinctly pedicellate, disc dark red-brown, deeply concave, margins coarsely golden-sorediate, ± enclosed by verrucose-areolate, white tomentose, concolorous thalline exciple. Ascopores brown, fusiform, 1-3-septate, 18-21 × 6-7 µm. Chemistry: Pulvinic acid, pulvinic lactone, calycin, and unidentified triterpenes or sterols.

N: North Auckland (Three Kings Is to Rangitoto I.). Coastal, lowland on trees and shrubs in coastal forest.

Australasian

Distinguished from P. aurata by the ragged, isidiate margins of the lobes. The chemistry of the two species is the same. New Zealand material agrees with the type from Lord Howe I.

P. poculifera is often fertile, in contrast to P. aurata which is only very rarely found with apothecia.