Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia nigro-cincta Mont., Annls Sci. nat. Bot. sér. 2, 4: 91 (1835).

Pannaria subsimilis Knight, T.N.Z.I. 12: 368 (1880).

P. biatorina Knight, T.N.Z.I. 12: 369 (1880).

Pannaria subsimilis. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). Charles Knight, WELT!

Pannaria biatorina. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (prob. Wellington). Charles Knight, WELT Herb. Knight Vol. 30, p. 10!

Thallus squamulose, ± closely attached, orbicular to spreading 1-5(-10) cm diam., bordered by a thin black prothallus. Squamules very variable, from minute, crenulate, stellate structures widely scattered on prothallus, to ± densely clustered, overlapping, with minute, flattened lobules at margins, to ± placodioid, radiating narrow, laciniate lobes with subascendent margins. Upper surface greyish-green to dull olive or fawnish, smooth, shining, without isidia or soredia, margins slightly white-pubescent. Lower surface pale buff or whitish-tomentose at margins, dark centrally with copious, black, squarrose rhizines. Apothecia sessile, frequent, small, to 1 mm diam., plane to convex, disc smooth, waxy, red-brown with a pale proper margin visible in young fruits, becoming thinner and less distinct with age. Ascospores ellipsoid, 12-25 × 6-9 µm.

N: North Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Fiordland. St: A: C: Widely distributed in damp, humid, lowland and coastal to subalpine habitats. Tolerant of considerable shade. An epiphyte of both trees and shrubs, from bark, twigs and leaves, the most frequently collected species of the genus in New Zealand. In exposed habitats fruits and squamules may become ± blackened. It also colonises coastal rocks.

Austral