Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen fimbriatus L., Sp. Pl.: 1152 (1753).

Description : Flora (1985: 112). See also Archer (1992b: 123).

Chemistry : Cortex K−, or brownish, C−, KC−, Pd+ red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid (major) and protocetraric acid (tr.).

N: Wellington (Waipakahi Valley Kaimanawa Mts, Pongaroa). S: Marlborough (Mt Fishtail), Westland (Whitcombe Valley), Canterbury (Mt Binser, Ashburton, Governor's Bush Mt Cook, Ben Ohau Ra., Te Kohai I., Lake Pukaki), Otago (Turret Head Mt Earnslaw, Coronet Peak, Old Man Ra., Hawkdun Ra., Mt Kyeburn, Mt Kohurau St Mary Ra., Green Island Bush, Berwick, Kaka Point), Southland (Cascade Cove ridgetop, Dusky Sound, Invercargill). St: (Port William, Wilson Bay, Port Pegasus). C: (Lyall Ridge). Ant: Throughout, s.l. to 2300 m. A very common and widespread species both in shade and in full sun; on clay banks, roadside banks and cuttings, peat, Leptospermum heath, bases of tree trunks, decaying stumps, shaded rock faces, tussock grassland, and amongst Haastia in fellfield and scree. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, North, Central and South America, Australia, Tasmania, Falkland Is, and Antarctica (Goward 1999; Ahti, 2000; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; Ahti & Hammer 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Søchting et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Galløe (1954: 65, pls 157–159); Martin & Child (1972: 55, pl. 4); Jahns (1980: 211, fig. 500); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 142); Thomson (1984: 133); Phillips (1987: 181); Krog et al. (1994: 156); Wirth (1995b: 305J; 326); St. Clair (1999: 61); Goward (1999: 118, fig. 8A); Gilbert (2000: 120, fig. 7.2); Dobson (2000: 127; 2005: 138); Øvstedal & Lewis Smith (2001: pl. 32); Brodo et al. (2001: 254, pl. 234); Sérusiaux et al. (2004: 55).

Cladonia fimbriata is characterised by: the abruptly expanded, goblet-shaped scyphi; the absence of a cortex on the podetial surface; and entirely farinose-sorediate podetia. Sometimes with minutely scyphiferous proliferations arising along margins in which case it might be confused with C. subulata, the proliferations of which are always subulate. C. chlorophaea has more gradually tapering scyphi, ±corticate or ecorticate podetia, and coarse, granular soredia.