Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen caninus L., Sp. Pl.: 1149 (1753).

Description : Thallus forming broadly radiating patches, 4–8(–10) cm diam. Lobes 1–2 cm wide, 3–6 cm long. Margins entire to very shallowly scalloped or incised, slightly thickened below, noticeably downturned at apices. Upper surface dark livid grey-brown to reddish grey-brown when wet, pale grey-brown when dry, densely and uniformly tomentose, unevenly wrinkled to ±bullate in central parts. Lower surface whitish or pale whitish buff at margins, darkening centrally. Veins conspicuous, raised, narrow, anastomosing, pale-buff at margins, darkening to grey-brown centrally, interstices lenticular (×10 lens). Rhizines penicillate to flocculent, discrete to ±confluent at base, pale-buff or whitish at margins, grey-brown centrally, 1–4 mm long. Apothecia not seen.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

S: Canterbury (Mt Cook), Otago (Forgotten River, Waitahuna) [map in Galloway 2000c: 8, fig. 1)]. It is widespread, arctic to temperate in the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, Africa), and in South America and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere where it appears to be scattered and rare (Vitikainen 1994b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 172); Phillips (1987: 176); Hale & Cole (1988: pl. 8a); Olech & Alstrup (1988: 177, fig. 2); Vitt et al. (1988: 230); Goffinet & Hastings (1994: 14, fig. 20, 15, figs 21, 22); Goward et al. (1994b: 99, fig. 24A); Jørgensen et al. (1994a: 286, fig. 12);Vitikainen (1994b: 29, fig. 75); Hansen (1995: 48); Johnson et al. (1995: 349); Wirth (1995b: 680 C); McCune & Geiser (1997: 205); Dobson (2000: 282; 2005: 315); Brodo et al. (2001: 507, pls, 591, 592).

Peltigera canina is characterised by: the terricolous habit; its large, rounded lobes with inflexed margins and evenly tomentose upper surface; the pale lower surface with distinct, raised, whitish veins and richly branched rhizines having confluent bases. It is distinct from P. membranacea, which has a thinner thallus, a coarser venation, more slender rhizines, which have a distinctive erect tomentum (×10 lens). A molecular study of the P. canina species complex is documented in Miadlikowska et al. (2003).