Flora of New Zealand Series

Lichen furcatus Huds., Fl. angl.: 458 (1762).

Primary squamules usually disappearing, medium, 2.5 mm long and broad, irregularly or subdigitately lobed, broadening slightly towards apices, crenate, ascending, flat, upper surface glaucescent to olive-green or brownish-green, lower side white, esorediate. Podetia growing from upper surface and margins of primary squamules, dying at base, growing apically, 15-80(-150) mm tall, to 2 mm diam., without cups, cylindrical or widening towards joints, branching repeatedly isotomicdichotomous, or sympodial, branches near tips sometimes in whorls or corymbose, diverging at wide angles, entangled, forming mats, axils widened, open. Cortex continuous or smoothly areolate, rarely slightly verruculose, ± squamulose, shining or matt, glaucescent to whitish-glaucescent to red-brown or dark brown, esorediate. Apothecia small, terminal, ± spherical, dark brown or red-brown, rarely pale. Chemistry: Cortex K- rarely +, yellow to dingy brownish, KC-, Pd+ red. Fumarprotocetraric acid, ± atranorin.

N: Taupo, Pohangina Valley. S: Nelson Lakes, Westland, Fiordland, eastern Otago. Mainly subalpine, rarely coastal, in Nothofagus forest, Leptospermum heath on soil, rotting logs and tussock bases in grassland.

Cosmopolitan

This species may be confused with C. crispata, but in C. furcata branching is dichotomous and not ± polytomous as in C. crispata. C. furcata has fumarprotocetraric acid while C. crispata has squamatic acid as the major diagnostic compound.