Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Gisborne, Tolaga Bay, on dead Cupressus along the foreshore, s.l., 13.i.1982, J.A. Elix 10080 – CHR. Isotype – CBG.

Description : Thallus adnate, pale yellow-green, orbicular to irregularly spreading, to 10 cm diam. Lobes irregular, 1.0–4.0(–5.00) mm wide, ±contiguous, plane and rounded at apices, imbricate centrally. Upper surface plane to ±undulate, dull to slightly shiny, with ±reticulate white maculae (×10 lens) towards apices, becoming minutely wrinkled to rugose or subfaveolate centrally, densely sorediate, without isidia or dactyls. Soralia laminal, orbicular to subcapitate at first, but coalescing and spreading over upper surface; soredia farinose, concolorous with upper surface or paler. Medulla mainly white, rarely with a yellow-orange (K+ purple) zone adjacent to lower cortex. Lower surface black, with a narrow, naked brown rim, sparsely rhizinate elsewhere. Rhizines short, simple or tufted at apices, concolorous with lower surface. Apothecia and pycnidia not seen.

Chemistry : Cortex K−; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ brick-red; pigmented lower medulla K+ purple; containing usnic acid, protocetraric acid (major), caperatic acid (±), atranorin (±), skyrin (minor), virensic acid (tr.) and an unidentified compound (tr.)

N: South Auckland (Coromandel Peninsula, Taupo), Gisborne (Tolaga Bay), Taranaki (Burgess Park New Plymouth, Hawera). S: Nelson (Nelson, Westport). On dead and living trees (Cupressus, Pinus, Eucalyptus, Metrosideros excelsa), in open scrubland, plantations, coastal forest and in urban parks and cemeteries, mainly lowland. Known also from Tasmania (Kantvilas et al. 2002: 33; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Australasian

Illustrations : Elix & Johnston (1988c: 394, fig. 2); Kantvilas et al. (2002: 32).

Flavoparmelia haywardiana is characterised by: the corticolous/lignicolous habit; the adnate yellow to yellow-green thallus; farinose–sorediate upper surface (soralia orbicular to subcapitate at first); and a medullary chemistry containing protocetraric and caperatic acids.