Xanthoparmelia ustulata
≡Parmelia ustulata Kurok. & Filson, Bull. Natnl Sci. Mus., Tokyo, ser. B, 1: 46 (1975).
Description : Thallus moderately adnate to adnate on rock, to 7 cm diam. Lobes imbricate or not, plane, irregular to sublinear-elongate, irregularly branched, 1–2.5(–4) mm wide, laciniae sometimes developed, imbricate, 0.5–1 mm wide. Upper surface yellow-green to olive-green, darkening centrally, matt, glossy at apices, emaculate, without isidia or soredia, older parts irregularly cracked, lobe margins black. Lower surface pale-brown, darker towards apices, rhizinate. Rhizines sparse, simple, slender, 0.2 mm long, concolorous with lower surface. Apothecia sessile, 1.5–7 mm diam., disc concave, plane to undulate at maturity, dark-brown; thalline exciple smooth, entire, thin. Ascospores 8–10 × 5–6 μm. Pycnidia common. Conidia bifusiform, 5–6 × 0.5 μm.
Chemistry : Cortex K−; medulla K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing ±protoconstipatic, constipatic, ±dehydroconstipatic, ±pertusaric and usnic acids.
N: Hawke's Bay (Taradale). S: Canterbury (Rangitata Gorge, Mackenzie Country). On wind-eroded bare soil and on rocks. Known also from subalpine and subarid areas of S and E Australia (Elix 1994s: 299; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Australasian
Illustrations : Kurokawa & Filson (1975: pl. 4, fig. 4 – as Parmelia ustulata); Elix (1994s: 305, fig. 106A).
Xanthoparmelia ustulata is characterised by: the saxicolous/terricolous habit; the moderately adnate to adnate thallus; broad lobes; a pale lower surface; and fatty acids in the medulla.
