Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Cenomyce ustulata Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 652 (1844).

=Cladonia subdigitata Nyl., Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. Paris, sér. D, 83: 88 (1876).

=Cladonia subdigitata var. polydactyloides Nyl., Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. Paris, sér. D, 83: 88 (1876).

Cladonia subdigitata. Lectotype: New Zealand. Campbell Island, 1874. Filhol – H-NYL 37858 [fide Filson & Archer (1986: 231)]. Isolectotypes – BM, MEL 1048659, PC, TUR-VAINIO 14155, 14157, UPS (Archer 1988: 210; Ahti 1993: 96).

Cladonia subdigitata var. polydactyloides. Type: New Zealand. Campbell I., 1874. Filhol – ? PC, ?H-NYL not seen.

Description : Flora (1985: 122 – as C. subdigitata). See also Filson & Archer (1986: 232 – as C. subdigitata); Archer (1988: 210; 1992b: 139 – as C. subdigitata); Stenroos (1993: 318–319).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+; containing thamnolic and decarboxythamnolic acids.

N: Wellington (Hauhungatahi, Otaki River, Waiopehu Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Cobb River, St Arnaud Ra., Tophouse), Westland (upper Otira Valley), Canterbury (E of Lewis Pass, Arthur's Pass, E of Mt Sinclair Banks Peninsula), Otago (Mt Brewster, Park Pass, Rockburn, Caples Valley, Kea Basin Mt Earnslaw, head of Dart Valley, Pisa Ra., Old Dunstan Road, Mt Kyeburn, Mt Pisgah Kakanui Mts, Rock & Pillar Ra., Mt Watkin, Flagstaff, Mt Cargill, Mihiwaka, Deep Stream, Verterburn, Maungatua, Blue Mts), Southland (Kuriwao, Kaiwera, Seaward Bush, Awarua Bay, Pourakino Valley, Longwood Ra., Mt George, Juno Valley Fiordland, Mt Clerke Resolution I., Wilmot Pass, Tutoko Valley, Harrison Saddle). St: (Mt Anglem). A: C: (Camp Cove, Tucker Cove, Mt Honey). Ant: M: In subalpine peat soils, fellfield, grassland, or soil over rocks, among moss, rotting logs, dead tussock bases and in Dracophyllum and Leptospermum scrub, s.l. to 2300 m. Also known from SE Australia, Tasmania, Macquarie I. (Filson & Archer 1986; Archer 1988, 1992b; Filson 1996; McCarthy 2003c, 2006), southern South America (Stenroos 1993) and the Falkland Is (Stenroos & Ahti 1992) and Antarctica (Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001).

Austral

Illustrations : Martin & Child (1972: 56, pl. 5 – as C. subdigitata); Filson & Archer (1986: 232, fig. 13); Stenroos (1993: 313, fig. 2I); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 54).

Cladonia ustulata is distinguished from all other scyphose species of Cladonia in New Zealand by the yellow scyphi with conspicuous red apothecia, and the presence of thamnolic acid. Formerly often misidentified as C. coccifera on herbarium labels (Archer 1988, 1992b). New Zealand material of this species was earlier named as C. metalepta Nyl. (Martin 1958: 619), or as C. subdigitata (Martin 1958: 619; Galloway 1985a: 122). Basal squamules of C. ustulata from Campbell I. are parasitised by * Phaeopyxis punctum (q.v.).