Siphula coriacea
Description : Flora (1985: 523).
Chemistry : Cortex and medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV+ bluish white; containing barbatic acid.
S: Canterbury (Upper Ashburton River, Mackenzie Country, Lake Benmore, Black Forest Road, Hakataramea Valley), Otago (Lindis Pass to Roxburgh). On open, arid, sandy soils in low-rainfall areas E of the Main Divide, 600–1200 m. A good indicator of induced steppe, often associating with Xanthoparmelia concomitans, X. molliuscula, X. reptans and X. semiviridis, in lichen crust communities on bare soil. Its range in the Mackenzie Country appears to have been reduced in recent years by competition from Hieraceum spp., colonising bare soil surfaces. Known also from Australia (Kantvilas 2002a; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Australasian
Illustrations : Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 176); George (2000: 128); Kantvilas (2002a: 38, fig. 1; 2004k: 953, fig. 4; 954, fig. 5).
Siphula coriacea is characterised by: the distinctive, inrolled, almost tubular whitish stalk with expanded lobes above having characteristically greyish or blue-grey apices; and barbatic acid (UV+ blue-white) in the medulla. It prefers sandy soils in low-rainfall areas.
