Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea pulverea Borrer in W.J. Hooker & J. Sowerby, Engl. Bot. Suppl. 2: tab. 2726 (1834).

≡Catillaria pulverea (Borrer) Lettau, Hedwigia 52: 136 (1912).

≡Patellaria pulverea (Borrer) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 62 (1894).

Description : Flora (1985: 78 – as Catillaria pulverea).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C−, KC+ deep yellow, Pd+ rust-red; containing atranorin, zeorin and fumarprotocetraric acid.

S: Canterbury (Craigieburn Ra.), Otago (Makarora), Southland (Waikaia Valley, Piano Flat). Str.: Port Pegasus (track from Disappointment Cove to Broad Bay). On dry bark of moribund Nothofagus menziesii and N. solandri var. cliffortioides and on Myrsine australis, where it associates with Degelia rosulata, Degeliella versicolor, Menegazzia eperforata, M. nothofagi, Pannaria immixta and P. sphinctrina. It is probably more widespread than records show. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Macaronesia, Tasmania and Victoria in Australia, Argentina and Chile (Coppins & James 1979b; Schreiner & Hafellner 1992; Tønsberg 1992b; Nimis 1993; Kantvilas et al. 1994; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Filson 1996; Arup et al. 1997; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Calvelo & Liberatore 2001; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Arup et al. (1997: 188, fig. 77F); Dobson (2005: 259).

Megalaria pulverea is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the pale greyish, inconspicuous thallus that is usually wholly, or for the greater part, obscured by scattered or contiguous, efflorescent soralia which are grey or pale green-white; and atranorin, zeorin and fumarprotocetraric acid in the medulla. It is rarely fertile but apothecia when present are lecideine, bluish black, to 2 mm diam., marginate, the disc plane to subconvex; ascospores are oblong–ellipsoidal 15–18 × 7–9 μm (Coppins & James 1979b: 170; Tønsberg 1992b: 124).