Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecidea marginiflexa Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 638 (1844).

≡Biatora marginiflexa (Hook.f. & Taylor) C. Bab. in J.D. Hooker, Fl. Nov. Zel. 2: 299 (1855).

≡Psorothecium marginiflexa (Hook.f. & Taylor) A.Massal., Atti. I. R. Istit. Veneto, ser. 3, 5: 261 (1860).

≡Patellaria marginiflexa (Hook.f. & Taylor) Müll.Arg., Flora 65: 330 (1882).

≡Megalospora marginiflexa (Hook.f. & Taylor) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 4 (1): 88 (1927).

=Lecidea radomma Nyl. in C.Knight, Trans. N. Z. Inst. 7: 357 (1875).

≡Blastenia radomma (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 7 (1): 40 (1930).

≡Caloplaca radomma (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 7 (2): 179 (1931).

=Lecidea iodomma Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 89 (1888).

≡Blastenia iodomma (Nyl.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 7 (1): 32 (1930).

=Caloplaca jablonszkyana Szatala, Borbásia 1: 61 (1939).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Northland, Kawakawa, iv.1843, Herb. Hooker – BM [fide Sipman (1983: 89)].

Lecidea radomma. Type: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight – H-NYL, not seen.

Lecidea iodomma. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], Charles Knight 85 – H-NYL 18192 [fide Sipman (1983: 89)].

Caloplaca jablonszkyana. Type: New Zealand. "ad lac. Waikare-Moana, supra cort. Podocarpi", 1933, J. Jablonszky – BP, not seen.

Description : Flora (1985: 264–265).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd+ orange; containing pannarin and zeorin.

N: Northland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Fiordland. St: On bark of forest trees (Aristotelia, Beilschmiedia, Nothofagus, Podocarpus hallii), s.l. to 850 m. Known also in Tasmania, SE Australia , Chile, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea (Sipman 1983; Aptroot et al. 1997: 103; Aptroot 2002e; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Austral

Illustrations : Babington (1855: pl. CXXIX B – as Lecidea marginiflexa); Knight (1875a: pl. XXIII, fig. 4 – as Lecidea radomma; fig. 5 – as Lecidea marginiflexa); Sipman (1983: pl. 2C; pl. 4A; pl. 8C, D; pl. 16B; pl. 20F,G); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 127); Lumbsch et al. (2001: 10).

Megaloblastenia marginiflexa is characterised by: the corticolous habit; and the thick-walled ascospores that resemble those of Physcia but which are colourless, 24–40 × (11–)14–24 μm. It is distinct from M. flavidoatra which has smaller, black apothecia and a yellowish thallus (usnic acid). Superficially M. marginiflexa resembles Megalospora gompholoma, but the ascospores in that species are quite different (septa thin) and its apothecia do not have a purplish tinge when wet.