Stereocaulon ramulosum
=Stereocaulon macrocarpum A.Rich., Voy. Astrolabe, Bot.: 34 (1832).
≡Stereocaulon ramulosum var. macrocarpum (A.Rich.) C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 294 (1855).
=Stereocaulon proximum f. traversii Hue, Nouv. Archs Mus. His. Nat. sér. 3, 10: 245 (1898).
≡Stereocaulon traversii (Hue) C.W.Dodge in B.A. Fineran, J. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 1: 222 (1971) nom. nud.
=Stereocaulon submollescens Nyl., Compt. Rend. Hebd. Séances Acad. Sci. Paris, sér. D, 83: 87 (1876).
≡Stereocaulon ramulosum var. submollescens (Nyl.) I.M.Lamb, J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 43: 285 (1977).
=Stereocaulon pulvinare C.W.Dodge, Repts B. A. N. Z. A. R. E. Repts 1929–1931, ser. B, 7: 139 (1948).
≡Stereocaulon ramulosum var. pulvinare (C.W.Dodge) I.M.Lamb, J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 43: 283 (1977).
=Stereocaulon ramulosum var. pulvinare f. crebratum I.M.Lamb, J.Hattori Bot. Lab. 43: 283 (1977).
Stereocaulon macrocarpum. Holotype: New Zealand. "Havre de l'Astrolabe" [Nelson], A. Richard – PC-HUE.
Stereocaulon proximum f. traversii. Holotype: New Zealand, sine loco"envoyé par Sir Locke Travers à l'Exposition Universelle de Paris en 1889" – PC-HUE.
Stereocaulon submollescens. Holotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., 1874, M. Filhol – H-NYL 40089.
Stereocaulon pulvinare. Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Otago, Mac's Valley near Dunedin, on rock, J.S. Thomson 9 – FH. [NB the locality for this taxon given in Dodge's protologue is in error. In J. Scott Thomson's personal herbarium (OTA) a collection labelled "2 & 9 Maungatua/Brighton" by Thomson shows that his no. 9 was collected not from Mac's Valley, as stated in Dodge's protologue, but from the summit of Maungatua]. Isotypes – CHR, OTA.
Stereocaulon ramulosum var. pulvinare f. crebratum. Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Port Chalmers near Dunedin. On rock, J.S. Thomson T696 – CHR. Isotypes, CAN, FH.
Description : Flora (1985: 548–549).
Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing atranorin, perlatolic acid and ±anzaic acid (Cambie 1968). The anti-fungal compound methyl haematommate was recently isolated from S. ramulosum by Hickey et al. (1990).
K: Raoul I. (Sunshine Valley). N: Northland (Three Kings Is, Te Paki, Herekino, Mitimiti, Kawerua, Cavalli Is, Bay of Islands, Rakitu I., Poor Knights Is, Fanal I., Little Barrier I., Hen & Chickens Is, Whangarei Heads, Leigh, Kawau I.), Auckland (Auckland City, Rangitoto I., Piha, Anawhata, Waitakere Ra.), South Auckland (Cuvier I., Hunua Ra., Coromandel Peninsula, Shoe & Slipper Is, Motuhora & Rurima Is, Taupo), Gisborne (Waikaremoana), Hawke's Bay (Norsewood, Cape Kidnappers), Taranaki (Mt Taranaki), Wellington (Ruapehu, Kaimanawa Ra., Ruahine Ra., Kapiti I., Tararua Ra., Rimutaka Ra., Tinakori Hill). S: Nelson (Cobb Ridge, Mt Arthur Ra., Travers Valley, Lake Rotoroa, Lake Rotoiti, St Arnaud Ra., Denniston Plateau), Westland (Greymouth, Franz Josef), Marborough (Mt Stokes, Queen Charlotte Sound), Canterbury (Lewis Pass, Arthur's Pass, Torlesse Ra., Port Hills, Banks Peninsula, Mt Peel, Four Peaks Ra.), Otago (Haast Pass, West Matukituki Valley, Dansey's Pass, Lake Onslow, Carrick Ra., Old Man Ra., Mt Cargill, Sandymount, Maungatua, the Nuggets), Southland (Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Te Anau, Manapouri, The Wilderness, Invercargill, Bluff Hill, Awarua Bay, Waituna Lagoon, Howell's Point, Rowallan Burn). St: (Port William, Halfmoon Bay, Lonneker's Beach, Thule, Table Hill, Tin Ra., Fraser Peaks, Cooks Arm, Noble I. Port Pegasus). A: (Adams I., Carnley Harbour). C: (Mt Beeman, Mowbray Hill, Mt Lyall). Ch: Ant: (Hut Cove). A common and widespread species from coastal rocks, clay banks, gravel and sand, to inland habitats, commonly straggling in grassland, s.l. to 1500 m. An aggressive coloniser of disturbed habitats, such as roadside cuttings and verges, areas of forest clearance and alongside streams and rivers. It tolerates a wide range of ecological conditions from exposed, subantarctic grasslands to forest. One of the most commonly collected lichens in New Zealand. Known also from Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina), Central and East Africa, Australia (including Macquarie I.), Hawai'i, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu (Lamb 1977; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Elix & McCarthy 1998; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Calvelo & Liberatore 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Palaeotropical
Exsiccati : Moberg (1991: No. 97); Vězda (1997f: No. 319).
Illustrations : Knight (1884: pl. XXXIX, fig. 1*); Duvigneaud (1944: 153, fig. 17: 2B; 1956: 37, fig. 10A – as Stereocaulon macrocarpum); Lamb (1951: pl. 1. fig. 1; pl. 2, fig. 2; 528, fig. 1; 535, fig. 2A); Jahns (1970: 125, fig. 17; 133, fig. 47; 146, fig. 80); Martin & Child (1972: 157, pl. 46); Sérusiaux (1979a: 24, pl. V, fig. 12B; 31, pl. VI, fig. 12A); Galloway (1980b: 273, fig.11; 274, fig.12); Hayward & Hayward (1983: 211, fig. 5D); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 109); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 144, pl. 116); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 39); Honegger (2001: 176, fig. 9K).
[Note: This lichen was originally described from West Indies material by Olof Swartz (1788: 147) as Lichen ramulosus Sw., but this name is a later homonym of L. ramulosus With. (Withering 1776: 723) and must be rejected. However, the name Stereocaulon ramulosum Räuschel may be treated as new and retained, with emended author citation, for this lichen (Laundon 1984: 235).]
Stereocaulon ramulosum is characterised by: the terricolous/saxicolous habit; the large, often well-developed thallus to 25 cm tall; complexly branching pseudopodetia; terete to coralloid-branched phyllocladia; sessile, wrinkled, smooth-surfaced cephalodia; terminal and lateraal apothecia with convex, pale to dark red-brown discs; and a chemistry of atranorin, perlatolic and ±anziaic acids.
