Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia turgidula Bitter, Hedwigia 40: 246 (1901).

Holotype (fide Elix loc. cit., p. 238): New Zealand. Sine loco. Charles Knight, W.

Thallus orbicular or spreading over twigs to 8 cm diam., but generally smaller, lying flat on substrate or with suberect marginal lobes, corticolous or lignicolous. Lobes inflated, hollow, narrow 1-2(-3.5) mm wide, lobes somewhat broader within thallus 2-3(-4.5) mm, repeatedly dichotomously branched, crowded and contiguous, placodioid, rarely developing extended di- or trichotomously branched marginal lobes, divergent at axils and may lack lateral contacts, extended lobes may be digitate and flattened, or subterete and flattened at apices. Upper surface pale grey, shining, smooth, occasionally appearing black-margined through exposure of the lower surface. Medulla relatively thick, white. Lower surface black to brown-black, dull, strongly wrinkled, fading to pale brown or whitish at apices, occasionally with perforations at lobe apices. Apothecia common, small to medium, 1.5-6.5(-10) mm diam., short pedicellate, exciple weakly wrinkled, disc pale to reddish-brown and shining, concave, at maturity becoming darker brown, dull and ± flat, margin entire, narrow. Ascospores ellipsoid, 7-8.5 × 4-5.5 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla KC+ red, Pd-. Atranorin, chloroatranorin, physodic, 3-hydroxyphysodic, 2'-O-methylphysodic and alectoronic acids.

N: S: In mainly coastal habitats, on branches and twigs of trees and shrubs, rarely on dead wood. Rather poorly collected in New Zealand.

Australasian

Usually distinguished by the regular thallus, the narrow inflated, contiguous lobes and copious apothecia.