Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia calva Essl., J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 42: 60 (1977).

Holotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Craigieburn River, on bark of Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, 1962, D.J. Galloway s.n. – CHR.

Description : Flora (1985: 271).

Chemistry : Cortex K−, HNO3−; medulla K+ faint violet or faint yellow, C+ rose, KC+ rose-red, Pd−; containing gyrophoric acid and several unidentified compounds.

N: Hawke's Bay (Kuripapango, Mt Kaweka, Balls Clearing, Puketitiri), Wellington (Whakapapa Village, Tongariro National Park). S: Nelson (Tasman Mts, Ruby Lake), Canterbury (Craigieburn River). Epiphytic on bark of mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides) silver beech (N. menziesii), red beech (N. fusca) and Dracophyllum filifolium (Esslinger 1986b: 296).

Endemic

Melanelia calva is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the pale olive-tan to olive-brown thallus (to 6 cm diam., lobes 1–3(–4) mm broad, the upper surface sometimes sparsely to markedly lobulate; apothecia to 3.5 mm diam., exciple commonly pseudocyphellate and the base commonly rhizinate); the lack of soredia, isidia or cortical hairs; and the presence of medullary gyrophoric acid.