Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia scabrosa Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 6: 162 (1847).

=Parmelia scabropustulata Elix, Austral. J. Bot. 29: 369 (1981).

Parmelia scabropustulata. Holotype: New Zealand. Canterbury, Ellas Track, Port Hills, Christchurch, on exposed volcanic rocks, 480 m, 15.iii.1980, J.A. Elix 7612 – CHR.

Description : Flora (1985: 615).

Chemistry : Cortex K−; medulla K−, C−, KC+ pink, Pd−; containing norlobaridone, norlobariol, loxodin, ±scabrosin 4,4'-diacetate, ±scabrosin 4-acetate 4'-butyrate; ±scabrosin 4,4'-dibutyrate, ±scabrosin 4-acetate 4'-hexanoate, isonorlobaridone (tr.), norlobariol methyl ester (tr.), conloxodin (tr.), conororlobaridone (tr.) and usnic acid (Elix 1994s: 285). Structure revision and notes on cytotoxic activity of the scabrosin esters, epidithiopiperazine-diones, was published by Ernst-Russell et al. (1999).

N: Northland (Three Kings Is) to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: C: Widely distributed (both E and W of the Main Divide), coastal rocks to subalpine and alpine, s.l. to 1900 m, in areas of both high and low rainfall, On rock, soil, decorticated wood, bark, glass, concrete, tile, slate and bitumen (roads, paths, airport runways). Often growing on glass and metal of abandoned cars (Green & Snelgar 1977) and also common on greenhouse glass. In a study in Hamilton, Green (1997) records an estimated annual radial growth rate on glass substrata of 16 mm per year for X. scabrosa. Very commonly seen on bitumen paths, and roads in all parts of the country, especially in humid areas, and at perimeters of airfield runways, where it actively accumulates Cu, Pb, S and Zn (Bennett & Wright 2004), the levels of these anthropogenic elements decreasing significantly from urban to rural areas. This species has markedly increased its area of distribution through growth on man-made substrata. Known also from Australia, Papua New Guinea, South America, South Africa and Japan (Elix 1994s: 286; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Western Pacific

Illustrations : Green & Snelgar (1977: 171, pl. 1); Elix (1981b: 369, fig. 15 – as Parmelia scabropustulata); Hale (1990: 190, fig. 64A); Elix (1994s: 199, fig. 86; 288, fig. 104B); Kantvilas et al. (2002: 166); Bryologist. 107 (4) (2004: front cover).

Xanthoparmelia scabrosa is characterised by: the saxicolous, lignicolous, corticolous habit; the presence of warty or globose isidia which become sybcylindrical and erumpent; a pale-pinkish or -brownish lower surface; and loxodin and norlobaridone in the medulla.