Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Physcia decipiens Arnold, Flora 50: 562 (1867).

Description : Flora (1985: 66).

Chemistry : K+violet red; containing emodin, parietin, xanthorin and fallacinal.

S: Canterbury (Weka Pass, Upper Godley Valley, Milford), Otago (Ngapara, Duntroon). On limestone rocks, associating with C. saxicola, Lecanora dispersa, Physcia caesia etc. Still rather poorly known in New Zealand. A widespread calcicolous species known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Greenland, Svalbard, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine, Asia, India, Japan, China, North America (Poelt 1969; Nordin 1972; Hansen et al. 1987a; Awasthi 1991; Laundon 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Egea 1996; Elvebakk & Hertel 1997; Konratyuk 1996b, 1998; Seaward 1996; Diederich & Sérusiaux 2000; Scholz 2000; Fletcher & Coppins 2001d; Hafellner & Türk 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 186); Wirth (1987: 97, 101; 1995a: 14, fig. 2H); Kärnefelt (1989: 176, fig. 61); Dobson (1992: 88; 2000: 93; 2005: 101).

Caloplaca decipiens is characterised by: the saxicolous habit (basicolous rocks); the placodioid thallus; and the concolorous, lip-shaped, marginal soralia. Some thalli may be parasitised by * Arthonia molendoi (q.v.).