Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Cenomyce rigida Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 652 (1844).

≡Cenomyce pyxidata var. rigida (Hook.f. & Taylor) Taylor & Hook.f. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Ant. 1: 197 (1845).

=Cladonia squamosula Müll.Arg., Flora 66: 19 (1883).

Lectotype: New Zealand. ["Lord Auckland's Group"] Auckland Is., on dry, turfy soil, J.D.Hooker 1575 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 120)]. Isolectotypes – BM, FH-TAYLOR, H-NYL 38432 (Ahti 1993: 92).

Description : Flora (1985: 119–120; 121–122 – as Cladonia squamosula Müll.Arg.). See also Ahti et al. (1990: 174–175); Archer (1992b: 135–136).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow; containing thamnolic acid, ±homosekikaic acid, sekikaic acid (minor) and hyperhomosekikaic acid (tr.) and with barbatic acid in the apothecia.

N: Northland (Kaitaia), Auckland (Rangitoto I.), South Auckland (Otamakite Kaimai Ra., Shoe I.), Wellington (Rimutaka Ra.). S: Nelson (Lake Rotoroa, Tophouse), Westland (Aorangi Forest Reserve near Greymouth, Omoeroa Saddle Waiho River, Kaimata), Canterbury (Boyle River, Port Hills, Ahuriri Reserve), Otago (Haast Pass, Swampy Hill, Mihiwaka, Mt Cargill, Dunedin, Blue Mts, Kuriwao), Southland (Cascade Creek, Doubtful Sound, Five Finger Peninsula Dusky Sound, Pukerau, Ben Bolt Hokonui Hills, Awarua Bay). St: (Disappointment Cove, Port Pegasus). A: (Enderby I., Sandy Bay). C: (Tucker Cove). On peaty soil, amongst moss on dead or rotten wood and stumps, also on red beech (Nothofagus fusca) trunks in subalpine and coastal habitats. Also known from Australia and Chile (Ahti & Kashiwadani 1984 – as C. squamosula; Ahti et al. 1990; Archer 1992b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006). Martin (1958) uses C. borbonica for C. rigida.

Austral

Illustrations : Des Abbayes (1966: pl. LV, A, B); Flora of Australia 54 : 216, fig. 56 (1992); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 51).

Cladonia rigida superficially resembles C. ochrochlora but is smaller, not granular-sorediate and has a different chemistry. Ahti et al. (1990) show C. squamosula Müll.Arg. to be a synonym of C. rigida. It is similar to thamnolic-acid-containing specimens of C. squamosa, which generally has wider, more well-developed, open axils.