Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia conspersa var. hypoclystoides, Müll. Arg., Flora 66: 48 (1883).

Thallus foliose, loosely attached, to 6 cm diam. Lobes flat, 2-5 mm wide in older parts, subdichotomously branching at first, with thinner, narrower, secondary lobes towards margins, becoming densely imbricate-laciniate, not ascending at apices, margins entire, black, shining. Upper surface yellow or yellowish-green, smooth, shining, occasionally faintly maculate, wrinkled, cracked centrally, isidia and soredia absent. Lower surface pale reddish-brown, darker centrally, shining, wrinkled or papillate. Rhizines sparse to moderate, simple, rarely squarrosely branched, more common centrally. Apothecia sparse, subpedicellate, 1-4 mm diam., disc smooth, red-brown, concave, imperforate, margins prominent, concolorous with thallus, entire or occasionally crenulate. Pycnidia occasional to common, minute, black, punctiform. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ yellow → red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Norstictic, salazinic and usnic acids.

S: Marlborough, Mackenzie Country, Central Otago. On rocks and soil in grasslands; montane and subalpine.

Australasian

X. hypoclystoides is distinguished from X. tasmanica by its chemistry, its distinctive morphology, the colour of the lower surface and the scarcity of rhizines. It is similar to X. subnuda but this latter species has a black lower surface, and finer, ascending lobe apices.