Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen ericetorum L., Sp. Pl.: 1141 (1753).

Description : Flora (1985: 201).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ orange-yellow, C+ orange, KC+ orange-yellow; containing thamnolic, perlatolic and squamatic (tr.) acids.

N: Northland (Mt Tutamoe – where it is common and well developed on clay tracks in forest), South Auckland (Pirongia). S: Nelson (Pelorus Bridge), Marlborough (Mt Stokes, Resolution Bay), Otago (Mt Cargill, Graham's Bush, Tuapeka West, Black Gully, Blue Mts), Southland (Hump Ra., Lake Hauroko). On forest soil, clay banks, rotting tree stumps, and peat in upland, subalpine areas. Probably more widespread than records show. Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere (Rambold et al. 1993: 224; Obermayer 2004), but known in the Southern Hemisphere only from South Africa and New Zealand.

Bipolar

Illustrations : Hertel (1970a: 172, fig. 3); Jahns (1970: 139, fig. 59; 170, fig. 105); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 135); Honegger (1983: 60, fig. 2); Phillips (1987: 165); Wirth (1987: 217; 1995b: 433); Dobson (1992: 158; 2000: 174; 2005: 196); Jørgensen et al. (1994a: 307, fig. 27); Johnson et al. (1995: 335); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 75, 99, 131); Brodo et al. (2001: 361, pl. 396); Sérusiaux et al. (2004: 88); Pope (2005: 49).

Icmadophila ericetorum is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the bright-green crustose, spreading thallus; sessile to subpedicellate (rarely pedicellate), flesh-pink apothecia; fusiform–ellipsoidal, simple to 1-septate ascospores; and thamnolic and perlatolic acids (K+ yellow or orange-yellow, C+ orange, KC+orange or orange-yellow) as major chemical compounds. Chemistry, substratum preference, and ascospore characters distinguish it from the superficially similar Dibaeis absoluta (q.v.).