Notocladonia undulata
Description : Primary squamules persistent or disappearing, to 4.5 mm long and 3 mm wide, upper surface dusky greenish to olivaceous, lower surface whitish to brownish with vein-like blackened hyphae at base and continuing the length of the squamule; margins subentire to minutely lobate, ascending at first, reflexed with maturity then thickening and becoming ridged; surface wrinkled, irregularly and sparsely longitudinally fissured, corticate above, ecorticate below. Podetia marginal or occasionally laminal from upper side of primary squamules, to 4 mm tall and 3 mm wide, usually smaller, flattened and barely distinguishable from primary squamules at first, roughly obconical when mature, solid, simple to sparingly branched, branch axils closed or very rarely open, with caespitose, undulating clusters of apothecia. Apothecia pale- to dark-brown, proper margin raised, persistent, concolorous with or slightly paler than inner parts of apothecia, expanding, elongating and deforming, splitting when young, rarely splitting at maturity. Asci 34–40 × 10–12 μm, with a large tholus, 8–10 μm diam. Ascospores biseriate in ascus, oblong–ellipsoidal, thin-walled, 10–12 × 4–5 μm. Pycnidia black, subglobose, on primary squamules, ostiole linear to rounded.
Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC+ yellow, Pd−; containing divaricatic and usnic acids.
N: Auckland (Hunua Ra.). On thin soil or bare, hardpan soil. Known also from E Australia and Tasmania (Hammer 2003a).
Australasian
Illustrations : Hammer (2003a: 163, figs 1–4).
Notocladonia undulata is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the persistent primary squamules; small (to 4 mm tall) obconical podetia, barely distinguishable from squamules; the clustered apothecia developed at the tips of the primary squamules; and the closed axils.
