Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen rupicola L., Mant. Pl.1: 132 (1767).

=Lecidea sticticarpa Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 297 (1941).

Lecidea sticticarpa. Holotype: New Zealand. Otago, Waikouaiti Reservoir, on rocks, i.1935, J.S. Thomson T 1861 [ZA 400] – W. Isotypes – CHR 347063. See also Hertel (1983: 447).

Description : Flora (1985: 218).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C−, KC+ yellow; apothecial disc C+ yellow or orange, KC+ orange; containing sordidone, atranorin, roccellic acid in the apothecia and atranorin and roccellic acid in the thallus (Leuckert & Poelt 1989). Lumbsch & Elix (2004: 54) also record chloroatranorin (minor) and eugenitol (minor) from this species.

N: Wellington (Kapiti I.). S: Canterbury (Devil's Gap, East Peak, near Mt Sinclair, Banks Peninsula, McKenzie country), Otago (Poolburn Reservoir, Manorburn, Teviot River, Kakanui Mountains, Horse Ra., Old Man Ra., Waikouaiti, Maungatua). On sunny, exposed rock outcrops and slabs in subalpine grassland in full sunlight, and also occasionally on roofs of underhangs of schist tors in high-alpine habitats, 450–1650 m (Galloway 2002b). Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North America, Asia, Australia (Leuckert & Poelt 1989; Hawksworth & Dalby 1992; Santesson 1993, Nimis 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Kondratyuk et al. 1996a; Brodo et al. 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Lumbsch & Elix 2004; Ryan et al. 2004b: 262–263; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Ozenda & Clauzade (1970: 564, fig. 466); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 115); Wirth (1987: 245; 1995b: 457); Vitt et al. (1988: 196); Leuckert & Poelt (1989: 126, pl. 1; 136, fig. 2); Dobson (1992: 170; 2000: 200; 2005: 230); Hansen (1995: 96); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 100, 150, 178); Baron (1999: 49, fig. 39); St. Clair (1999: 102); Gilbert (2000: pl. 11B); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 30); Brodo et al. (2001: 387, pl. 433); Flora of Australia56A (2004: xv, pl. 19); Grube et al. (2004a: 512, fig. 5).

Lecanora rupicola is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; and the pale-brown, to blackish, flat to convex apothecial discs, covered with a fine, grey-white, to bluish-white-pruina reacting C+ yellow-orange. It is part of a group of related lichens that include L. bicincta (q.v.) and L. swartzii (q.v.). The group is discussed by Leuckert & Poelt (1989) who define infraspecific taxa and chemodemes within each species. This aggregate deserves closer study in New Zealand where it seems best developed on rocks in upland and alpine habitats of Central Otago (Galloway 2002b). The thallus is often parasitised by * Rimularia insularis (q.v.) that gradually grows throughout the hyphae of the host, taking over the host's photobiont cells. Apothecial discs are sometimes also parasitised by * Arthonia glaucomaria (q.v.) and * A. varians (Baron 1999: 49, fig. 39), causing the discs to become blackened. Leuckert & Poelt (1989: 129) record the following lichenicolous taxa from L. rupicola : * Buellia sp., * Opegrapha maculans (Arnold) Hafellner, * Rhizocarpon inimicum Poelt & Vĕzda * Rinodina insularis (Arnold) Hafellner.