Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Flora (1985: 106 – as Cladonia capitata). See also Ahti & Kashiwadani (1984: 145–146) and Archer (1992b: 142).

Chemistry : Cortex K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid (major) and protocetraric acid (tr.) rarely also with atranorin (major) or homosekikaic acid (major) or bourgeanic acid (major).

N: South Auckland (Rotorua). S: Westland, Otago (Makarora, Damper Bay Lake Wanaka, Column Rocks Pisa Ra., Leith Saddle, Mt Cargill), Southland (Sandy Point). On heath soils, decaying logs and in grassland. Also in Australia and Tasmania (Archer 1992b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006), Chile (Ahti & Kashiwadani 1984; Archer 1992b; Ahti 2000) and the Falkland Is (Stenroos & Ahti 1992).

Austral

Illustration : Ahti & Kashiwadani (1984: 151, pl. II, fig.5).

Cladonia tessellata is characterised by: small, concave basal squamules (2–3 × 0.5–1 mm); simple or sparingly branched podetia without cracks; the tessellate or elevated areolae produced on the podetial surface; pale- to dark-brown apothecia at the apices of podetia; and atranorin and fumarprotocetraric acid.