Neofuscelia pulla (Ach.) Essl.
Parmelia pulla Ach., Syn. Lich.: 206 (1814).
Thallus appressed throughout, to strongly pulvinate or subpannose, loosely to moderately or tightly adnate, 2-12(-15) cm diam., saxicolous and terricolous. Lobes 1-5 mm wide, flat to convex or concave, short and rounded, to somewhat elongate or linear, ± discrete to imbricate or loosely entangled. Upper surface olive-brown to yellowish-brown, red-brown or dark brown, paler at apices, smooth to weakly pitted or wrinkled at apices, ± smooth to fissured or wrinkled centrally, developing ± upright subfruticose branches, dull throughout to somewhat shiny, especially at apices, occasionally partly pruinose, without isidia. Lower surface dark brown to black, paler at apices, smooth and dull or in part slightly shining, moderately to densely rhizinate. Rhizines concolorous with lower surface, to 1.7 mm long. Apothecia common, sessile to short-pedicellate, concave to plane to subconvex, to 7(-11) mm diam., margins entire to weakly crenate or lacerate. Ascospores ellipsoid, 7-10.5 × 3.5-7 µm. Pycnidia common. Conidia 4.5-7 × 1 µm, bifusiform. Chemistry: Cortex K-, HNO3+ dark blue-green; medulla K-, C- or ± rose to red, KC- or ± rose-red, Pd-. Stenosporic or divaricatic acid with accessory gyrophoric acid and very rarely accessory perlatolic acid.
N: Three Kings Is, to Wellington. S: Marlborough, Central Otago. Mainly coastal and northern on rock and soil.
Cosmopolitan
N. pulla shows the widest spectrum of morphological variation in the genus. Specimens vary continuously in habit from discrete, closely appressed rosettes to irregular and strongly pulvinate clumps. Lobes vary from relatively thin, narrow and sometimes linear to rather large and broadly rounded. Thallus colour and texture are equally variable, smooth and wrinkled combine variously with pale and dark.
