Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia australasica (D.J.Galloway) Filson, Austral. J. Bot. 30: 519 (1982).

Holotype: New Zealand. Northland, Karekare Beach, on andesitic conglomerate, 8.x.1977, J.K. Bartlett s.n. – CHR 314047. Isotypes CHR 343933, 343934, 343939, 343860, 343861, 343862, 343863, 343864, 343865, 343866, 343867, 343869, 343870.

Description : Flora (1985: 610–611).

Chemistry : Cortex K−; medulla K+ yellow→red, C−, KC+ red, Pd+ orange containing salazinic (major), consalazinic and usnic acids.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is) to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Mainly on coastal rocks, rarely inland in subalpine habitats. Known also from North America, Mexico, East Africa, South Africa, Argentina, Australia and India (Hale 1990; Elix 1994s; Divakar & Upreti 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nash & Elix 2004; Nash et al. 2004a).

?Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Galloway (1981a: 532, fig. 3); Hale (1990: 72, fig. 27A); Elix (1994s: 195, fig. 72); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 110); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 130); Divakar & Upreti (2002: 512, fig. 2); Kantvilas et al. (2002: 180); McCarthy & Malcolm (2004: 60).

Xanthoparmelia australasica is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the black lower surface; the presence of densely congested, coralloid-branched isidia and salazinic acid in the medulla. It is similar in all respects to X. neotinctina, but this latter taxon contains norstictic acid in the medulla.