Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sticta muelleri Hampe, Linnaea 25: 711 (1852).

Description : Flora (1985: 182).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC+ yellow; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing usnic acid in the cortex and diffractaic acid in the medulla.

N: North Auckland (90 Mile Beach, Karikari Peninsula). In dune hollows. First collected in New Zealand from 90 Mile Beach, H.H. Allan and G.H. Cunningham, 1934. Rediscovered in a collection of mosses made by the late J.K. Bartlett (14.viii.1976) on the Karikari Peninsula near Puheke on a damp, sandstone ridge in dune slacks, but apparently no longer present in this habitat as exensive searches made in the area in 2000 and 2002 by the present author failed to find it. Known also from all states of Australia and New Caledonia (Filson 1978, 1992d; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Filson (1978: 21, fig. 4; 22, fig. 5); Flora of Australia 54 : frontispiece (1992); Eldridge & Tozer (1997: 40, fig. 4.20).

Heterodea muelleri is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the broad-lobed thallus; the black-veined, pale-spotted, sparsely rhizinate lower surface; and a chemistry comprising usnic and diffractaic acids.