Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Thallus corticolous, isidiate, forming extensive creamy-white to greenish patches of variable thickness, when thicker it is glossy, corticate, areolate. Isidia numerous, concolorous with thallus, sometimes densely crowded but also ±scattered, simple, rarely branched or becoming coralloid, 0.2–1 mm tall, 0.05–0.1 mm diam. Apothecia unknown.

Chemistry : K+ yellow, C−, KC+ yellow, Pd+ orange; containing stictic acid with traces of constictic and cryptostictic acids (David & Hawksworth 1995; Archer 1997).

N: Northland (Mangamuka River). On lowland trees. Still very poorly known in New Zealand. Known also from Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, and Queensland (David & Hawksworth 1995; Archer 1997, 2004a: 148–149; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Palaeotropical

Illustration : David & Hawksworth (1995: 109, fig. 2).

Pertusaria muricata is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the densely isidiate thallus; the absence of apothecia; and the presence of stictic acid.