Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia adpicta Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 351 (1941).

Lectotype (fide Esslinger 1977): New Zealand. Canterbury, Bealey River near Arthur's Pass. H.H. Allan ZA 300, W.

Thallus appressed, tightly adnate, 2-6 cm diam., saxicolous. Lobes 1-3 mm broad, flat, elongate and discrete, mostly wider at or near tips and narrowing inwards. Upper surface dark brown or blackening, slightly paler and red-brown at apices, smooth or slightly pitted, shallowly fissured or wrinkled centrally, dull, subnitid at apices, without isidia. Lower surface black, slightly paler at apices, ± smooth, flat, dull, sparsely to moderately rhizinate. Rhizines simple, concolorous with lower surface, to 0.3 mm long. Apothecia common, sessile, concave at first becoming plane, margins entire. Ascospores 8.5-10.5 × 4.6 µm. Pycnidia common. Conidia 5.5-6.5 × 1 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-, HNO3 dark blue-green; medulla K-, C-, KC- Pd-. ?Stenosporic acid.

S: Known only from the type collection.

Endemic

Four species, all endemic to South Island mountains, are similar to N. adpicta but are distinguished by Esslinger on the basis of their chemistry. N. pictada has divaricatic acid, N. martinii physodic acid, N. peloloba alectoronic acid, and N. plana glomelliferic acid. Critical collections of these entities is essential before the validity of the taxa can be adequately tested.