Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia splachnirima Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 645 (1844).

≡Baeomyces splachnirima (Hook.f. & Taylor) C.Bab. & Mitt., Fl. Tas. 2: 348 (1859) ["1860"].

≡Lobaria splachnirima (Hook.f. & Taylor) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (2): 292 (1925).

≡Knightiella splachnirima (Hook.f. & Taylor) Gyeln., Feddes Repert. 29: 1 (1931).

≡Thelidea splachnirima (Hook.f. & Taylor) P.James, Trans. Roy. Soc. N.Z. (Bot.) 3: 205 (1968). nom.nud.

≡Physcia splachnirima (Hook.f. & Taylor) Yoshim., J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 34: 253 (1971).

=Baeomyces squamarioides Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 2 (1): 184 (1860).

≡Knightiella squamarioides (Nyl.) Müll.Arg., Flora 71: 202 (1888).

≡Tubercularia squamarioides (Nyl.) O.Kuntze, Rev. gen. pl. 2: 877 (1891).

=Knightiella leucocarpa Müll.Arg., Flora 69: 255 (1886).

≡Lobaria leucocarpa (Müll.Arg.) Zahlbr., Natür. Pflanzenf. 1 (1): 188 (1906).

≡Cystolobis lecuocarpa (Müll.Arg.) Clem., Gen. Fung.: 175 (1909).

=Thelidea corrugata Hue, Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 48: LXI (1902).

Thelidea corrugata. Lectotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., 1874, M. Filhol – H-NYL 30826 [fide Galloway & Elix (1981: 483)].

Description : Flora (1985: 202–203 – as Knightiella splachnirima). See also Johnston (2001c: 21–22).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ pale yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ yellow or orange, UV+ white; containing thamnolic (major), decarboxythamnolic (tr.), 4- O- methylcryptochlorophaeic (tr.) acids and several unidentified depsides in trace amounts (Johnston 2001c: 22).

S: Nelson (Stockton and Denniston plateaux), Otago (Silver Peaks, Swampy Summit, Maungatua, Black Swamp nr Milton); Southland (Awarua Plain, Longwood Ra., Aparima River, Takitimu Mts, Borland Bog); S: (Mt Anglem to Port Pegasus); A: C: Ch: On exposed, subalpine peat, in open heathland and in raised peat bogs (McQueen & Wilson 2000), s.l. to 900 m. Also in Tasmania and Victoria (Galloway & Elix 1981; Johnston 2001c: 22; McCarthy 2003c, 2006). It was first collected in the Chatham Is (February 2000) by Dr P.N. Johnson, who records it from bare peat at 180 m in bracken– Dracophyllum scrub. One of our genuinely rare lichens in South I., and of surpassing beauty and elegance when seen fresh in the field when it is happily fruiting. Faithfully recorded in colour in Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 73) and in Galloway (2004b: 208). Colonies on Swampy Summit near Dunedin were close to extinction in the early 1960s, but today are vigorously expanding. It is most abundant in our area on Stewart I., but even there it is not especially common, although in the south in open moorland at Port Pegasus close to the Fraser Peaks, it is now more abundant than it was 30 years ago. A most exciting and rewarding lichen to see in nature.

Australasian

Illustrations : Babington & Mitten (1859: tab. CXCIX, C, figs 1–3 – as Baeomyces splachnirima); Galloway & Elix (1981: 482, fig. 1; 483, fig. 2; 484, fig. 3 – as Knightiella splachnirima); Gierl & Kalb (1993: 604, fig. 19); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 139 – as Knightiella splachnirima); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 73 – as Knightiella splachnirima); Galloway (2004b: p. 208 – as Knightiella splachnirima).

Icmadophila splachnirima is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the lettuce-green, small-foliose to squamulose thallus; the subpedicellate, scattered, pink apothecia with buff–pruinose, wrinkled–scabrid discs; a pale yellowish hypothecium; 1-septate, ellipsoidal ascospores, 12–15(–18) × 3–5 μm; and thamnolic acid and decarboxythamnolic acid in the medulla. Its morphology is strikingly similar to that of the recently described Siphula australiensis Kantvilas (Kantvilas 2004k: 950–951), but this latter species has thicker, scabrid–mealy lobes that are chalky white, and it is consistently sterile as with all known species of Siphula.