Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia subnuda Kurok. in Kurok. et Elix, J. Jap. Bot. 46: 114 (1971).

Thallus foliose, lobate, loosely attached, 2-6 cm diam., spreading or in ± caespitose cushions. Lobes narrow, 0.5-2 mm wide, dichotomously or trichotomously branched, ± imbricate, entangled centrally, apices free, ascending, margins entire, black, shining. Upper surface yellowish-green, smooth, shining, isidia, maculae and soredia absent. Lower surface black, matt, wrinkled-papillate, naked at margins, sparsely rhizinate centrally. Rhizines black or dark brown, simple. Apothecia rare, sessile, 2-4 mm diam., subconcave to plane, matt, smooth, margins entire or subcrenate, concolorous with thallus, thalline exciple smooth. Pycnidia common in fertile plants, minute, black, punctiform. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ yellow → red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Norstictic, salazinic and usnic acids.

S: Central Otago. On soil and amongst mosses in rocky sites in grassland; montane and subalpine.

Australasian

X. subnuda is distinguished from X. hypoclystoides (in New Zealand the two taxa are often sympatric) by the black lower surface with sparse, simple rhizines, and the characteristically ascending lobe apices.