Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Gymnocaulon caespitosum (Redinger) P.A.Duvign., Lejeunia, Rev. Bot. Mem. 14: 14 (1956).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, Mt Maungatua, 900 m on schist rock, J.S. Thomson T1361 [ZA 185] – CHR 559059 [fide Lamb (1977: 306)]. Isolectotypes – CHR 559060; OTA 029724, W 1953. [Redinger (1936b: 139) also cites Thomson material ZA 485 in the protologue. This material, also from 900 m on Maungatua on schist, was collected by J.S. Thomson T2016 in iii.1935. Syntypes – CHR 559061, 559062; OTA 029725, W 1961]. Lamb (1977: 306) also notes "a specimen from the type locality in New Zealand formed a patch about 1 m in diameter, estimated as being more than 400 years old (J. Murray, personal communication)".

Description : Flora (1985: 545).

Chemistry : Atranorin, protocetraric and fumarprotocetraric acids.

N: South Auckland (Kaimanawa Ra.), Wellington (Ruapehu, Kaimanawa Ra., Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (Mt Arthur Ra., Cobb Valley, Mole Tops, St Arnaud Ra., Crimea Ra., Stockton Plateau, Denniston Plateau), Westland (Greymouth, Gorge Plateau, Red Hills Ra.), Marlborough (Mt Stokes, Mt Tapuaenuku, Inland Kaikoura Ra., Ure River), Canterbury (Mt Rolleston, Arthur's Pass, Sugarloaf, Craigieburn Ra., Torlesse Ra., Mt Peel, Sebastopol), Otago (Matukituki Valley, Mt Earnslaw, Park Pass, The Remarkables, Pisa Ra., Dunstan Mts, Hawkdun Ra., St Bathans Ra., Mt Ida, Poolburn Reservoir, Old Man Ra., Umbrella Mts, Lammerlaw Ra., Rock & Pillar Ra., Mt St Mary, Silver Peaks, Flagstaff, Maungatua), Southland (Secretary I. Dusky Sound, Borland Saddle). St: (Mt Anglem, Table Hill, Mt Allen, Tin Ra.). C: Forming densely compacted patches on exposed subalpine to high-alpine rocks. Known also from SE Australia and Tasmania (Lamb 1977; Kantvilas 1996b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Redinger (1936b: 133, fig. 1; 135, fig. 2); Lamb (1951: pl. 1, fig. 3; 539, fig. 4); Jahns (1970: 121, fig. 2; 123, fig. 11; 148, fig. 82); Wardle (1979: 134, fig. 51A); Galloway (1980b: 276, fig. 15).

Stereocaulon caespitosum is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; dwarf, simple, erect, finger-like podetia; the absence of phyllocladia; greenish black, cerebriform, basal cephalodia; terminal, plane, marginate apothecia; red-brown hypothecium, 60–75 μm thick; ascospores broadly fusiform, 6–8-septate, 30–50 × 4–7 μm; and a chemistry with protocetraric and fumarprotocetraric acids.