Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Gyrophora umbilicarioides B.Stein, Jber. schles. Ges. vaterl. Kult 1888: 135 (1888).

=Umbilicaria propagulifera (Vain.) Llano, Monogr. Lich. Fam. Umbilicariaceae: 162 (1950).

≡Gyrophora cylindrica f. propagulifera Vain., Res. Voy. S.Y. Belgica, Bot. Lich.: 10 (1903).

Description : Flora (1985: 593 – as U. propagulifera).

Chemistry : No lichen compounds (Krog & Swinscow 1986: 83), though Narui et al. (1996) report atranorin (major), norstictic (major), lecanoric and gyrophoric (tr.) acids. New Zealand material is K−, C−, and norstictic acid was not confirmed.

N: Hawke's Bay (Mt Kaweka), Wellington (Mt Ruapehu). S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Mt Starveaall), Westland (Hill's Peak), Canterbury (Craigieburn Ra., Torlesse Ra., Grampian Mts, Kirkliston Ra.), Otago (Ahuriri Valley, Matukituki Valley, Humboldt Mts, Pisa Ra., The Remarkables, Old Woman Ra., Old Man Ra., Mt Benger, Poolburn Reservoir, St Marys Ra., Hawkdun Ra., Mt Ida, Kakanui Mts, Lammerlaw Ra., Rock & Pillar Ra., Maungatua, Blue Mts), Southland (Ailsa Mts, Garvie Mts, West Dome). On sunny exposed, ledges, tops of boulders and outcrops in grassland and fellfield 600–2000 m. Known also from East Africa, Chile, Australia and Antarctica (Krog & Swinscow 1986; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Bipolar

Illustrations : Seaward et al. (1983: 706, fig. 1 – as Umbilicaria propagulifera); Krog & Swinscow (1986: 76, fig. 1; 77, fig. 2; 83, fig. 8); Swinscow & Krog (1988: 321, fig. 164); Hestmark (1990: 570, fig. 17); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 172 – as U. cylindrica); Øvstedal & Lewis Smith (2001: pl. 86; pl. 92).

Umbilicaria umbilicarioides is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the monophyllous to polyphyllous thallus (1–3, rarely to 5 cm diam.), often with fringing black rhizinomorphs at margins; a smooth to wrinkled, pale- to dark-brown to dark-grey upper surface generally covered (wholly or in part only) with a thin to thick white necral layer, the naked areas being often maculate (×10 lens) and with coarsely granular-crystalline areas above umbilicus; a black (centrally) to pale-pinkish or buff, scabrid-areolate lower surface; terete to complanate rhizinomorphs (to 2 mm long) in patches and at margins (occasionally also growing onto upper surface through cracks or tears), often with multi-septate thalloconidia produced at their branched tips (×10 lens); and pedicellate, convex, black, gyrose apothecia, scattered or in groups or lines. It is discussed in detail by Krog & Swinscow (1986: 84).