Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Nina Valley, W of Lewis River, 13.ix.1981, P.M. Jørgensen 8544 – BG. Isotype – CHR 528302.

Description : Thallus small-squamulose, bluish. Squamules elongated and incised up to 1 mm wide, thin (to 100 μm thick), sometimes with repeatedly divided isidioid marginal lobes. Apothecia common, up to 0.5 mm diam., red-brown with narrow paler proper exciple, which may be excluded eventually as apothecia become convex. Hymenium to 100 μm tall, I+ deep blue. Asci ellipsoidal, with distinct apical, amyloid ring-structure. Ascospores broadly ellipsoidal, 12–13 × 9–10 μm.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is, Te Paki Bush, Moir's Hill, Te Huka, Radar Bush, Herekino Gorge, N of Warkworth). S: Nelson (Mt Benson, Cobb Valley), Marlborough (Queen Charlotte Sound), Canterbury (Nina Valley, Boyle Lodge), Southland (Lake Thomson, Te Anau). St: (Port Pegasus). A: (Crozier Point, Tucker Point, Ranui Cove). On shrubs (e.g. Kunzea ericoides) in humid, deeply shaded habitats, coastal and inland, s.l. to 500 m. Known also from northern New South Wales (Jørgensen 2001b: 136; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustration : Jørgensen (1999a: 264, fig. 5).

Parmeliella subtilis is an easily overloooked, tiny species appearing as a bluish film on the substratum. Primarily recognised in the field by its usually numerous, brightly coloured apothecia. One of the smallest species in the genus, only matched by P. parvula, a widespread species which may be its sorediate counterpart, though with a more distinctly scabrid upper surface. P. subtilis is quite variable as thalli sometimes develop repeatedly divided lobules marginally. In certain forms these appear to be rather isidia-like, sometimes producing isidiate thalli. As there appears to be a continuum between these forms and this variation is not well understood, no taxonomic distinction is made between these forms. The type specimen is without such structures.