Flora of New Zealand Series

Lichen pollinarius Westr., K. Vet. Acad. nya Handl. 16: 56 (1795).

Thallus erect, caespitose-pulvinate to shrubby, 2-3(-6) cm tall, saxicolous and corticolous. Branches pale greenish-yellow or whitish-green, often numerous, flattened or in part terete especially near apices, much branched and dissected, with numerous small lateral nodular proliferations, or more flattened, palmate, undulate with deeply notched or incised margins, surface smooth, glossy, cartilaginous, subfaveolate in wider branches, sorediate. Soralia mainly laminal, subterminal or terminal, irregularly spreading, often appearing sublabriform at apices, soredia granular, yellow-white or greenish rather coarse. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry:?Divaricatic acid.

S: Otago (Old Man Ra.). On schist rocks in sheltered overhangs.

Cosmopolitan

Rarely collected in New Zealand. Variation in this rather polymorphic species is discussed by Krog and James [ loc. cit. (1977).]