Flora of New Zealand Series

=CONIOPHYLLUM Müll.Arg., 1892

=CALYCYDIOMYCES Cif. & Tomas., 1953 nom. illeg.

Type : Calycidium cuneatum Stirt.

Type : Coniophyllum colensoi Müll.Arg. [=Calycidium polycarpum (Colenso) Wedin]

Description : Flora (1985: 7).

Calycidium, one of the very few foliose, mazedia-producing lichens, is the generitype of the family Calycidiaceae (Choisy 1957; Ohlsson 1974; Tibell 1984b, 1987, 1994, 1997; Wedin 1993a, 1995b, 2002; Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004) that is now accommodated in the order Lecanorales (Tibell 1997, 1998a; Wedin & Tibell 1997; Wedin 2002), where it forms a monophyletic clade with the Physciaceae (Wedin et al. 2000b). To date, attempts to amplify DNA from Calycidium have failed, and as a result, the natural systematic placement of the Calycidiaceae within the Lecanorales is still unclear (Wedin 2002).

Formerly considered to be endemic to the New Zealand region where it occurs in North and South islands, Stewart Island and Chatham Island (the type locality), Calycidium is also known from southern Argentina and Chile in Valdivian rainforest (Redón 1974, 1976; Wedin 2002), and from Tasmania (Kantvilas 2000a). The genus was monographed by Wedin (2002) who accepted two species, both occurring in New Zealand.