Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Neofuscelia olivetorica Elix, Mycotaxon 63: 425 (1997) non. X. olivetorica Hale.

Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Canterbury: Craigieburn Ra., ridge to Nervous Knob, above Broken Hill ski field, 43º03's, 171º42' E, 1600 m, on exposed rocks in alpine grassland with scattered low shrubs and greywacke outcrops, 4.xi.1989, J. Johnston 3026 – WELT.

Description : Thallus foliose, tightly adnate, forming irregular rosettes, 3–6 cm diam. Lobes radiating, discrete, elongate to linear-elongate, subdichotomously branched, 1–2 mm wide; usually wider at or near apices; narrower centrally; margins lobulate. Upper surface dark-brown to brown-black, slightly paler and red-brown at margins, flat, the apices shining, smooth or irregularly pitted, older lobes becoming dull, cracked and wrinkled; lacking isidia. Medulla white. Lower surface black, slightly paler at tips, flat; rhizines sparse to moderately developed, simple, to 0.3 mm long, black. Apothecia common, sessile, to 2 mm diam., disc shallowly concave to ±flat, brown-black; thalline exciple thin, margins entire. Ascospores ellipsoidal 8.5–10.5 × 4–6 μm. Pycnidia common, immersed. Conidia bifusiform, 5.5–6.5 × 1 μm.

Chemistry : Cortex K−, HNO3+ dark blue-green; medulla K−, C+ red, KC+ red, Pd−; containing olivetoric (major) and 4- O -demethylmicrophyllinic (tr.) acids.

S: Canterbury (Craigieburn Ra.). On exposed rocks in alpine grassland.

Endemic

Illustration : Elix (1997b: 428, fig. 6 – as Neofuscelia olivetorica).

Morphologically Xanthoparmelia olivetoricella resembles X. adpicta and X. plana as all three have stellate, tightly adnate thalli with flat lobes that are wider at the apices than centrally. Although X. olivetoricella differs in having marginal lobules, these taxa are best distinguished chemically, since X. adpicta has divaricatic (KC−) acid; X. plana has glomelliferic acid (KC+ pink); and X. olivetoricella has olivetoric acid (KC+ red).