ssp. geographicum
=Rhizocarpon geographicum var. neozelandicum Räsänen, Ann. Bot. Soc. Zool.-Bot. fenn. Vanamo 19: 7 (1944).
≡Rhizocarpon neozelandicum (Räsänen) Räsänen, Kuopion Luonnon Ystväin Yhdistkysen Julkaisuja, Sarja B. 2 (4): 18 (1949).
=Rhizocarpon geographicum var. knightii Räsänen, Arch. Soc. Zool. Bot. fenn. Vanamo 3: 84 (1949) ["1948"].
Rhizocarpon geographicum var. neozelandicum. Holotype: New Zealand. Ruopahu [sic = Ruapehu], 1875, leg. Sv. Berggren – TUR-VAINO. Isotype – S (not seen).
Rhizocarpon geographicum var. knightii. Holotype: Nova Zelandia, sine loco [probably Wellington, "ad saxa subcalcarea", Charles Knight – TUR-VAINIO.
Description : Flora (1985: 505).
Chemistry : Thallus K−, C− or ±red, Pd− or ±orange-yellow; containing rhizocarpic acid and either psoromic or barbatic acids and sometimes ±gyrophoric acid.
N: Northland (Kawerua, Bay of Islands, Urupukupuka I., Chicken Is, Great Barrier I., Goat I.), Auckland (Karekare, Piha, Rangitoto I.), South Auckland (Mt Tarawera, Mt Maunganui, Kaimanawa Ra.), Wellington (Ruapehu, Tararua Mts). S: Nelson (Cobb Valley, Mt Arthur), Marlborough (Mt Stokes, Chetwode Is), Canterbury (Arthur's Pass, Sebastopol, Mt Cook), Otago (Central Otago mountains, Maungatua, Flagstaff, Dunedin), Southland (Fiordland, West Dome, Takitimu Mts, Lumsden, Hokonui Hills). St: (Mt Anglem, Mt Allen). A: C: (Beeman Hill). A very widespread species, on maritime to high-alpine rocks, and on gravel chippings in bitumen and on walls, bridge cappings and gravestones in cemeteries in lowland and urban habitats. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, the Artic, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, the Ukraine, Asia, North America, South America, Marion I, Bouvetøya, South Georgia, South Shetland Is, South Orkney Is, Antarctica, and Australia, (Vainio 1922; Lynge 1932, 1936; Runemark 1956b; Thomson 1968a, 1979; Feuerer 1978; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Wirth 1995a; Egea 1996; John 1996; Kondratyuk et al. 1996a; Seaward 1996; Elvebakk & Hertel 1997; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Diederich & Sérusiaux 2000; Scholz 2000; Brodo et al. 2001; Hafellner & Türk 2001; Øvstedal & Gremmen 2001; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Feuerer & Timdal 2004; Santesson et al. 2004; Søchting et al. 2004).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Galun (1970: pl. III, fig. 4 – as Rhizocarpon tinei ssp. tinei); Martin & Child (1972: 120, pl. 32 – as Rhizocarpon tinei); Feuerer (1978: 88); Moore & Irwin (1978: 15, fig. 8); Wilson (1978: 276, pl. 531; 1996: 354, pl. 550); Wardle (1979: 134, fig. 51A); Jahns (1980: 201, pl. 459); Hansen (1982: 25, figs 9, 10; 1995: 112); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 131); Redón (1985: lam. 18, fig. 79); Phillips (1987: 165); Foucard (1990: 242); Dobson (1992: 297; 2000: 341; 2005: 386); Letrouit-Galinou & Asta (1994: 276, figs 6–8; 278, figs 11–14); Johnson et al. (1995: 333); Wirth (1995a: 14, pl. 2D; 377, pl. 43A; 535, pl. 55B); Hutching (1998: 201); Baron (1999: 10, pl. 4, fig. 21); St. Clair (1999: 178); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 1, 4, 15, 32, 54); Purvis (2000: 91); Brodo et al. (2001: 635, pl. 774); Lumbsch et al. (2001: 4, 13); Øvstedal & Lewis Smith (2001: pl. 74); Sérusiaux et al. (2004: 8, fig. 2A); Pope (2005: 54).
Rhizocarpon geographicum ssp. geographicum is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the bright greenish yellow, areolate thallus dispersed on a black prothallus, that is also often well-developed at margins; subimmersed to sessile black apothecia, on or between areolae; a red-brown to olive green-brown epithecium (K+ purplish red); a colourless to pale-greenish or -brownish hymenium; a dark-brown hypothecium; 8-spored asci; and dark greenish brown to black, muriform (6–24 cells in optical section) ascospores, (20–)22–40(–46) × 10–20(–22) μm and rhizocarpic and psoromic acids in the medulla.
