Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Urceolaria schleicheri Ach., Lichenogr. universalis: 332 (1810).

Description : Flora (1985: 2).

Chemistry : Rhizocarpic acid (major), acarenoic acid (tr.)

S: Canterbury, Otago. In drier, eastern parts, alpine or subalpine, on soil or occasionally on rocks. A widespread, holarctic, xerophytic lichen in the Northern Hemisphere (Magnusson 1929, 1936; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Hansen 1995; Nimis & Martellos 2003); known also from high altitudes in central Asia (Obermayer 2004), North America, and the high Andes where it is particularly common on the Chilean altiplano (Galloway 1998d; Galloway & Quilhot 1999). Australian material of A. schleicheri is referred to A. citrina (Taylor) Zahlbr. (Lumbsch 1988; Filson 1996) a position adopted also by Galloway (1992d) and Malcolm & Galloway (1997) in recent New Zealand lichen checklists.

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Magnusson (1936: 126, fig. 20); Ozenda & Clauzade (1970: 501, fig. 416); Hafellner & Casares-Porcel (1992: 313, figs 1–3); Hansen (1995: 75); Brodo et al. (2001: 147, pl. 94).

Acarospora schleicheri is characterised by: the saxicolous/terricolous habit; the distinctive yellow-green to lime-green, areolate thallus, the areolae very variable, jigsaw-like, 1–4 mm diam; apothecia immersed, 1–3 per areola, disc yellow-brown to brown, sometimes pruinose and gyrose; ascospores 3–4 × 2–2.5 μm; and rhizocarpic acid.