Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Siphula subcoriacea var. dissoluta (Nyl.) Hellb., Bihang K. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl. 21 (3/13): 23 (1896).

=Siphula roccellaeformis Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 15 (1888).

≡Cladonia roccellaeformis Leight. in W. Nylander, Lich. Nov. Zel.: 15 (1888).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Westland, Greymouth, 1886, Richard Helms 131 – H-NYL 40177 [fide Galloway (1985a: 525)]. Isolectotype – W (ex Herb. Lokjanum) [Nylander has annotated this specimen as Siphula dissolvens Nyl., an unpublished name].

Siphula roccellaeformis. Lectotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, sine loco, Sinclair and Haast – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 525)]. Isolectotype – H-NYL.

Description : Flora (1985: 524).

Chemistry : Cortex K− or + weakly purple, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV−; medulla K+ purple, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV+ vivid blue-white; containing hypothamnolic and decarboxythamnolic acids.

N: Northland (Great Barrier I.), South Auckland (high peaks of Coromandel Ra., Te Aroha), Wellington (Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Mt Arthur, St Arnaud Ra., Waiau Pass), Westland (Kelly Ra., Alec's Knob, Barlow River Great Unknown, Bealey Ra., Haast), Canterbury (Arthur's Pass, Mt Hutt, Mt Peel, Tripp's Peak, Beetham Valley Malte Brun Ra., Sealy Lakes, Sebastopol), Otago (Mt Brewster Haast Pass, Blue River, French Ridge West Matukituki, Cascade Saddle, East Matukituki Valley, Humboldt Mts, Park Pass, Fohn Saddle, North Col, Sugarloaf Saddle, Bride Burn, West Hunter Valley, Kea Basin, Wright Col Mt Earnslaw, Harris Saddle, The Remarkables, Pisa Ra., Dunstan Mts, Old Man Ra., Gem Lake Umbrella Mtn, Rock and Pillar Ra., Kakanui Mts, Hightop near Dunedin), Southland (Mt Pembroke Milford Sound, Cascade Cove Dusky Sound, Henry Saddle, Wilmot Pass, Lake Wapiti and southward to Fiordland, on mountains both E and W of`the Main Divide, reaching 1845 on Mt Sisyphus in the East Matukituki Valley and 1830 m on the Remarkables. St: (Mt Anglem, Mt Allen, Tin Ra., Noble I., Port Pegasus). On damp soil or among mosses in exposed alpine habitats (fellfield, cushion herbfield, shingle pavement), also among mosses on tree trunks or in scrub in more sheltered subalpine habitats below treeline and especially along tracks used by deer or by trampers. North I. collections are mainly from among mosses in ±humid, sheltered sites and are ±conspicuously fenestrate-lacerate. However, these appear to be morphological variants induced by high humidity and low light in analogous fashion to the variation in morphology induced by differing ecological conditions seen also in S. decumbens. Known also from Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Is, and Costa Rica (Kantvilas 1998b: 128; 2002a: 42; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Austral

Exsiccati : Vězda (1982a: No. 1837; 1997f: No. 318); Moberg (1999: No. 291).

Illustrations : Santesson (1968: 179, fig. 3B); Kantvilas (1998b: 127, fig. 2).

Siphula dissoluta is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the K+ purple medulla; pale-grey, rather short, robust lobes, commonly 5–7 mm wide, erect or ascending, and forming matts of crowded, interfolded tufts c. 1 cm tall; apices are usually entire, broadly rounded and thickened; surface smooth, scabrid or verruculose (×10 lens). With increasing humidity and/or shelter, thalli become thinner, more fragile, lacerate-fenestrate, mealy and ±dorsiventral (q.v. S. decumbens). However, unlike S. decumbens these shade forms never appear to develop a midrib, and may become marginally leprose. Morphological variation in this species is discussed by Kantvilas (1998b: 126).