Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen pyxidatus L., Sp. Pl.: 1151 (1753).

Description : Flora (1985: 118). See also Archer (1992b: 134) and Stenroos (1993: 330).

Chemistry : Cortex K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid (major) and protocetraric acid (tr.).

N: Northland (Poor Knights Is), South Auckland (Hunua Ra., Mt Maungatwhiri), Taranaki (Mt Taranaki), Wellington (Field Hut Tararua Ra.). S: Canterbury (Craigieburn Ra., Sebastopol), Otago (Canyon Creek Ahuriri Valley, Sugarloaf Saddle Rockburn, Pisa Ra., Old Man Ra.). St: (Oban, Pegasus Creek, Deceit Peaks). C: (Camp Cove). On open ground on banks, thin soils overlying rock, peat soils and Leptospermum heaths, sheltered alpine herbfield . Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Africa, North, Central and South America, Oceania, Australia, Tasmania, and Antarctica (Swinscow & Krog 1988; Ahti 2000; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; Ahti & Hammer 2002; Aptroot 2002e; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Søchting et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Galløe (1954: 62, pls 148–151); Jahns (1980: 211, fig. 498); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 145); Filson & Archer (1986: 229, fig. 11); Wirth (1987: 156; 1995b: 305G, 307); Phillips (1987: 181); Jørgensen et al. (1994a: 347, fig. 52); Krog et al. (1994: 166); Johnson et al. (1995: 356); Hansen (1995: 32); Goward (1999: 124, fig. 26B); St. Clair (1999: 63); Dobson (2000: 131; 2005: 142); Gilbert (2000: 120, fig. 7.2); Brodo et al. (2001: 268, pl. 260).

Cladonia pyxidata is similar to C. chlorophaea but is distinguished from it by having true corticate granules that are primary in nature being found even in immature cups, the cups are more regular and flare very gradually from the base, becoming almost turbinate. In addition, broken podetia show an orange-coloured stereome. C. fimbriata is distinguished from C. pyxidata in having wineglass-shaped podetia and farinose soredia.