Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Campbell I., 1874, M. Filhol, s.n. – H-NYL. Isotypes – BM, PC-HUE.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 604). See also Stevens (1999: 115).

Chemistry : Medulla K−; containing fumarprotocetraric, protocetraric (tr.), hypoprotocetraric (tr.) and usnic acids. Stevens (1999: 115) records also ±lobaric (minor), ±physodalic (tr.), malonprotocetraric (tr.), confumarprotocetraric (tr.), succinprotocetraric (tr.), and conprotocetraric (tr.) acids from this species.

St: Sn: A: C: (Beeman Station, Perseverance Harbour). Ant.: Epiphytic on scrub in exposed subantarctic grasslands or fellfield. Known also from Australia (New South Wales and Tasmania) and Macquarie I. (Stevens 1999, 2004b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006) and from Argentinian Tierra del Fuego and Staten I. (Calvelo & Liberatore 2001).

Austral

Illustrations : Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 154); Stevens (1999: 86, fig. 55); Flora of Australia56A (2004: 102, pl. 38).

Usnea xanthopoga is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the small, caespitose, sympodially branched thalli; a waxy, glabrous, glossy cortex; numerous spinulose isidia on small, raised warts; punctiform pseudocyphellae on terminal branches; and fumarprotocetraric acid as major secondary medullary compound.