Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Flora (1985: 550).

Chemistry : Thallus K+ yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ orange; containing atranorin, stictic acid and ±norstictic acid.

N: Northland (Little Barrier I.), Auckland (Waitakere Ra., Rangitoto I.), South Auckland (Mt Moehau Coromandel Peninsula, Motuhora & Rurima Is, Mt Tarawera [see especially Timmins 1982; Clarkson & Clarkson 1983], Kaimanawa Ra., Taupo), Taranaki (Mt Taranaki), Wellington (Ruapehu, Kapiti I.). S: Nelson (Waiau Pass, Island Saddle, Mt Technical Lewis Pass), Canterbury (Hills Peak, Mt Misery near Cass, Craigieburn Ra.). On volcanic soils, lava, more rarely on rocks in subalpine grassland, s.l. to 1500 m. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen, Russia, Japan, China, United States, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Canary Is, Azores, Cape Verde Is, West Africa, East Africa, Réunion, Hawai'i, and Australia (Lamb 1977; Jørgensen 1977; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Hansen 1995; Elix & McCarthy 1998; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Goward 1999; Scholz 2000; Calvelo & Liberatore 2001; Hafellner & Türk 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Kershaw (1960: 200, fig. 15); Dahl & Krog (1973: 132, fig. 37); Jahns (1980: 215, figs 514, 515); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 153); Thomson (1984: 430); Phillips (1987: 178); Hansen (1995: 65); Wirth (1995b: 883); McCune & Geiser (1997: 276); Goward (1999: 228, fig. 3A); Dobson (2000: 369; 2005: 417); Brodo et al. (2001: 670, pl. 821).

Stereocaulon vesuvianum is characterised by: the saxicolous/terricolous habit; the tight attachment to mainly volcanic rock substrata; the peltate phyllocladia with darker centres and pale margins; and the Pd+ orange reaction (atranorin, stictic and norstictic (±) acids).