Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sphaerophorus ramulifer I.M.Lamb, Farlowia 4: 426 (1955).

=Sphaerophorus melanocarpus var. australis f. delicatus Js.Murray, Trans. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 88: 190 (1960).

=Sphaerophorus isousnicus M.Sâto, Miscnea Bryol. Lichenol. (Nichinan) 5: 27 (1969).

Sphaerophorus melanocarpus var. australis f. delicatus. Holotype: New Zealand. North Island, Puketitiri, M. Clark 4295 – OTA.

Sphaerophorus isousnicus. Holotype: New Zealand. Westland, Mt Brewster, M Satô 318 – Herb. Ibaraki University. Isotype – TNS.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 535 – as Sphaerophorus ramulifer); Tibell (1987: 246–249); Wedin (1995b: 77–81; 2001a: 10).

Chemistry : Medulla K+ yellow, Pd+ yellow-orange. Four chemodemes are distinguished with three of these present in New Zealand material (Tibell 1987; Wedin 1995b, 2001a).

Chemodeme I: sphaerophorin and isousnic acid.

Chemodeme II: sphaerophorin, stictic and norstictic acid and isousnic acid.

Chemodeme III: sphaerophorin, constictic and isousnic acid.

Chemodeme IV: sphaerophorin isousnic acid and hypoconstictic acid.

N: Auckland (Hunua Ra.) to Wellington (Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra.) to Southland (Homer Cirque, Pourakino Valley, Mt George Central Fiordland). St: Ch: A: C: Widespread in rather open situations in forested areas, and in alpine fellfield, and on vertical or steeply sloping faces of rock tors, often in direct sunlight. Also in Australia, Juan Fernandez, Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Is (Wedin 1995b: 80; 2001a: 10; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Austral

Exsiccati : Tibell (1982: No. 72 – as Sphaerophorus ramulifer).

Illustrations : Lamb (1959: lam. 2, fig. 3 – as Sphaerophorus ramulifer); Murray (1960a: pl. 12, fig. 4); Tibell (1987: 243, fig. 182B); Wedin (1995b: 78, fig. 38); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 41); Flora of Australia58A (2001: xii, pl. 8).

Bunodophoron ramuliferum is characterised by: the corticolous/terricolous habit; the yellowish tinge to the branches (isousnic acid), the ±terete fertile branches with abundant coralloid, fragile branchlets. It is related to B. notatum and B. whakapapaense.