Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Canterbury, Banks Peninsula, 3 km E of Te Oka Peak, 670 m, 10.vi.1980, J.A. Elix 8607 – CBG; AK, CHR – isotypes.

Description : Thallus similar to L. epibryon ssp. broccha, but differing in its thalline chemistry in containing different xanthones and lacking stictic and norstictic acids.

Chemistry : Major compounds: ±atranorin, ±barbatic acid, ±5.7-dichloro-3- O -methylnorlichexanthone and 2,5,7-trichloro-3- O -methylnorlichexanthone. Minor compounds: ±atranorin, ±choloroatranorin, ±gyrophoric, ±lecanoric, ±4- O- demethyl-barbatic acids and ±methyl barbatate, arthothelin, asemone, ±7-chloronorlichexanthone, ±2,5-dichlorolichexanthone, ±2,7-dichloronorliche-xanthone, 5,7-dichlorolichexanthone, ±5,7-dichloro-3- O- methylnorlichexanthone, isoarthothelin, 3- O- methylasemone, ±thiophanic acid, 2,5,7-trichlorolichexanthone (Lumbsch et al. 1994b: 232–232).

N: Gisborne (Mt Hikurangi). S: Nelson (Red Hill), Canterbury (Arthur's Pass, Banks Peninsula, Mackenzie Country), Otago (Forgotten River, Matukituki Valley, Remarkables, Lee Stream, Flagstaff). On dead tussock bases (especilly of Poa), in subalpine to high-alpine grasslands and herbfield. Also in alpine regions of SE Australia (including Tasmania) in Macquarie I., and in southern Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Is (Lumbsch 1994; Lumbsch et al. 1994b; Guderley 1999: 191; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Lumbsch & Elix 2004).

Austral

Illustrations : Lumbsch (1994: 90, fig. 58A, B; Lumbsch et al. (1994a: 33, fig. 1B; 1994b: 231, fig. 1); Guderley (1999: 187, fig. 15E); Flora of Australia56A (2004: xiii, pl. 11).

Lecanora epibryon ssp. xanthophora is characterised by: the graminicolous habit (dead tussock bases); and a chemistry containing xanthones (see above), but lacking the stictic acid chemosyndrome.