Xanthoparmelia atrocapnodes
≡Paraparmelia atrocapnodes Elix & J.Johnst., Brunonia 9: 141 (1987).
Description : Thallus moderately to tightly adnate, 2–10 cm diam. Lobes barely imbricate, irregular to sublinear-elongate, irregularly branched, 1–4 mm wide, rarely developing secondary laciniae centrally, 0.4–1 mm wide. Upper surface pale- to dark-grey, glossy at lobe apices, matt elsewhere, plane, smooth but developing transverse cracks and becoming wrinkled with age, isidiate, without maculae or soredia; margins often blackened, lobe apices slightly browned. Isidia scattered at margins, dense centrally, terete, slender becoming coralloid-branched, apices intact. Lower surface wrinkled, black, brownish at margins; rhizines sparse to frequent, simple, black. Apothecia sessile to subpedicellate, to 10 mm diam., disc concave to undulate-distorted, developing stellate cracks, pale-brown to cinnamon-brown, exciple thin, involute becoming undulate, isidiate. Ascospores 8–10 × 5–6 μm. Pycnidia rare. Conidia bacillar, 5–5 × 1 μm.
Chemistry : Cortex K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-red, C−, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, and norstictic (major), connorstictic (minor), salazinic (major), consalazinic (major), ±constipatic and ±protoconstipatic acids.
S: Canterbury (Lees Valley). On greywacke rocks in open bush. Known also from SE Australia and Western Australia (Elix & Johnston 1987a; Elix 1994l, 2001b: 57–58; Kantvilas et al. 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Australasian
Illustrations : Elix & Johnston (1987a: 141, fig. 2): Elix (1994l: 92, fig. 44C; 2001b: 59, fig. 16); Kantvilas et al. (2002: 91) – as Paraparmelia atrocapnodes.
Xanthoparmelia atrocapnodes is characterised by: the moderately to closely adnate thallus; the black lower surface; the numerous cylindrical to coralloid isidia; and the medullary chemistry. It is distinguished from X. murina by its chemistry.
