Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Physcia plinthiza Nyl., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 9: 249 (1866).

=Physcia synthalea C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 16: 401 (1884).

≡Hyperphyscia synthalea (C.Knight) Müll.Arg., Bull. Herb. Boissier 2, App. 1: 41 (1894).

=Rinodina macra Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss Kl. 104: 377 (1941).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Otago, on trunks of living trees, Green Island Bush near Dunedin 4.xi.1861, W. Lauder Lindsay – H-NYL 31981 [fide Galloway (1985a: 188)]. Isolectotype – H-NYL 31838.

Physcia synthalea. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight – WELT [fide Galloway (1985a: 188)].

Rinodina macra. Holotype: New Zealand. Otago, Wairongoa near Dunedin, on Populus nigra, J.S. Thomson T 2190 [W 51] – W. Isotypes – CHR 528671, OTA.

Description : Flora (1985: 188).

N: Wellington. S: Canterbury (Ashley Gorge, Banks Peninsula, Peel Forest, Kelsey's Bush, Arowhenua Bush), Otago (Trotter's Gorge, Pomahaka Gorge, Matanaka, Waitati, Otago Heads, Dunedin – Woodhaugh Gardens [particularly luxuriant specimens reach a size of 40 cm diam., on trunks of mature specimen trees of Plagianthus regius in this locality], Saddle Hill, Otakou Bush, Nugget Point) to Southland (Waihopai Bush). Mainly coastal and lowland in eastern South I. localities on the bark of native trees and shrubs (Coprosma, Hoheria, Myoporum, Plagianthus, Sophora etc), and on Salix, often with Haematomma babingtonii.

Endemic

Illustrations : Lindsay (1866c: pl. XXIX, fig. 32 – as Physcia plinthiza); Knight (1880: pl. XII, fig. 10 – as Physcia plinthiza); Knight (1884: pl. XXXIX, fig. 3 – as Physcia synthalea).

Hyperphyscia plinthiza, the generitype of Hyperphyscia, is characterised by: the corticolous habit; orbicular to speading, closely attached, plicate–rugose lobes; a greyish fawn to dirty greenish grey upper surface which is matt, scabrid or subpruinose in parts; frequent, scattered to crowded sessile apothecia with a dark-brown epruinose disc and thick, persistent margins concolorous with the thallus; 3–6(–8)-septate ascospores, (20–)25–45 × 11–25 μm.