Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia subrudecta Nyl., Flora 69: 320 (1886)

Description : Flora (1985: 486).

Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K−, C+ red, KC+ red, Pd−; containing ±atranorin, ±chloroatranorin and lecanoric acid (major).

N: Northland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Widespread in lowland (rural and urban) habitats – common on introduced trees in parks, gardens and on farms, on decorticated wood (fence posts, railings and gates) and on rock, especially in eutrophicated (high nitrogen) and polluted environments. A good indicator of disturbed and eutrophicated habitats. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, North and South America, and Australia (Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Goward et al. 1994b; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Scholz 2000; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Hale (1965a: 40, fig. 2); Galloway & Elix (1983: 410, fig. 15); Phillips (1987: 178 – as Parmelia subrudecta); Dobson (1992: 229; 2000: 275 – as Parmelia subrudecta; 2005: 375); Goward et al. (1994b: 123, fig. 1A); Wirth (1995b: 667); McCune & Geiser (1997: 255); Thor & Arvidsson (1999: 313); Longán et al. (2000: 371, fig. 1C; 372, fig. 2A); Van Herk & Aptroot (2000: 236, figs 1–3; 238, figs 4–6); Kantvilas et al. (2002: 8, 149); Sérusiaux et al. (2004: 151).

Punctelia subrudecta is a very polymorphic species, related to P. borreri, but differing in the pale lower surface; the distinctly non-pseudocyphellate margins to the lobes; round to slightly elongate and often sparse pseudocyphellae; mainly laminal soralia, marginal soralia absent or present only at sinuses of secondary lobes; and in having lecanoric acid as major medullary constituent. Conidia in this species are very short and unciform (4–6 μm long), a character that distinguishes it from P. perreticulata (Adler & Ahti 1996: 434; Aptroot 2003b).