Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia epheboides Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 353 (1941).

Lectotype (fide Esslinger, 1977): New Zealand. Otago, Trotter's Gorge. J.S. Thomson ZA 315, W.

Thallus loosely attached, 0.5-2 cm diam., saxicolous. Lobes 0.1-0.2(-0.4) mm broad, flat (the smallest almost subterete), elongate, sublinear, discrete to loosely entangled. Upper surface dark olive-brown to dark copper-brown, slightly paler at apices, ± smooth throughout, slightly wrinkled centrally, dull, subnitid at apices, without isidia. Lower surface dark brown, black at apices, dull to subnitid, without rhizines, attached to substrate by a few, central, loboid holdfasts. Apothecia common, sessile, concave to plane, to 1.3 mm diam., margins entire. Ascospores ellipsoid to subglobose 7-8.5 × 3.5-7 µm. Pycnidia common. Conidia bifusiform 6.5-8 × 1 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-, HNO3 ± dark blue-green; medulla K+ yellow → orange, C-, KC-, Pd+ red. Protocetraric and fumarprotocetraric acids.

S: Otago, known only from the type collection.

Endemic

N. epheboides is similar to N. petriseda and the two species are closely related. N. epheboides has smaller thalli with distinctly narrower and thinner lobes and a darker lower surface.