Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmelia rubiginosa var. γ araneosa C.Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. nov. zel. 2: 289 (1855).

≡Psoroma araneosum (C.Bab.) Nyl., Annls Sci. nat. Bot., sér. 4, 12: 294 (1859).

≡Lecanora araneosa (C.Bab.) Nyl., Flora 51: 372 (1868).

=Psoroma subpruinosum Nyl. in J.D. Hooker. Handb. N. Z. Flora 2: 574 (1867).

=Platysma dermatoides Stirt., Ann. Rept Trans. Glasgow Soc. Field Nat. 1: 21 (1873).

≡Cetraria dermatoidea (Stirt.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 6 (2): 286 (1929).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Bay of Islands], J.D. Hooker – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 468)].

Psoroma subpruinosum. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [? Waiheke I.], 1853, HMS Herald, Milne 41 – BM [fide Galloway (1985a: 468)].

Platysma dermatoides. Lectotype here selected. New Zealand: Wellington, on trees, J. Buchanan ?243, ?244 – WELT.

Description : Flora (1985: 468 – as Psoroma araneosum).

Chemistry : vicanicin, isovicanicin.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is, Little Barrier I., Tutukaka), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.), South Auckland (Coromandel Peninsula, near Waitomo), Wellington (Pencarrow Head, Eastbourne, Rimutaka Ra.). S: Nelson (Lake Rotoiti), Westland (Greymouth), Canterbury (Banks Peninsula), Southland (Greenhills, Rowallan Burn). St: (Port Pegasus). Mainly lowland and coastal, on bark of trees and shrubs or on rocks in high-light situations.

Endemic

Exsiccati : Lojka (1886: No. 123).

Pannaria araneosa is characterised by: the corticolous/saxicolous habit; large, lobate–foliose thalli without a prothallus; broad (5–20 mm wide), coriaceous lobes with rounded margins; a marginally tomentose upper surface; laminal, densely wrinkled–plicate, globose, granular to subplacodioid cephalodia; sessile, laminal apothecia with chestnut-brown to red-brown, epruinose discs; and ellipsoidal ascospores, 12–16 × 8–9 μm. It has a green alga as major photobiont.