Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Cetraria inflata Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 646 (1844).

≡Fistulariella inflata (Hook. f. & Taylor) Bowler & Rundel, Mycotaxon 6: 195 (1977).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Auckland Is. J.D. Hooker – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 500)]. Isolectotype – FH.

Description : Flora (1985: 500).

Chemistry : Usnic, divaricatic acids, ±sekikaic acid.

A: C: M: Coastal and lowland on shrubs. Also in Australia and Tasmania [Tasmanian populations are rather different to New Zealand subantarctic island material – J. Bannister, pers. comm.], South Africa, Brazil and Venezuela (Stevens 1987; McCarthy 2003c, 2006 – though not recorded from Venezuela by Marcano et al. 1996) and in the Pacific from Hawai'i, Bonin Is and Western Samoa (Elix & McCarthy 1998).

Palaeotropical

Illustrations : Stevens (1987: 181, pl. 10, figs 5–6; 215, pl. 14, fig. 5); Blanchon et al. (1996a: 78, figs 7C, 7H).

Ramalina inflata is characterised by: thalli forming pulvinate clumps on twigs; branches wide and fully inflated; apothecia terminal, concave to plane. Two additional subpsecies are defined from Australian populations by Stevens, viz. R. inflata ssp. perpusilla (Stirt.) G.N.Stevens (Stevens 1987: 188), and R. inflata ssp. australis G.N.Stevens (Stevens (1987: 191), neither of which are yet recorded from New Zealand.