Melanelia calva (Essl.) Essl.
Parmelia calva Esslinger, J. Hattori bot. Lab. 42: 60 (1977).
Thallus closely to moderately attached, 2-3 cm diam. Lobes 1-2 mm broad, flat, short and rounded to subelongate, contiguous to imbricate. Upper surface pale olive-tan to olive-brown, smooth to weakly pitted or wrinkled at apices and centrally, ± matt centrally, shining at apices, without isidia, pseudocyphellae or soredia. Lower surface tan to pale brown, smooth, slightly shining, moderately rhizinate. Rhizines pale or concolorous with lower surface, to 0.3 mm long. Apothecia numerous, sessile to short-pedicellate, concave, to 2 mm diam., margins entire, becoming obscurely pseudocyphellate. Ascospores broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 12-15 × 9.5-11.5 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ faint violet or yellow, C+ rose, KC+ rose, Pd-. Gyrophoric acid and traces of three unidentified substances.
S: Known only from the type locality.
Endemic
Holotype (fide Esslinger 1977, p. 60): New Zealand. Canterbury, Craigieburn River, on bark of Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides. D.J. Galloway, 1962, CHR!