Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Calicium viride Pers.

Description : Flora (1985: 53–54).

Calicium is accommodated in the family Physciaceae (Wedin & Grube 2002), which is, according to current practice, now included in the order Lecanorales (Wedin & Tibell 1997; Tibell 1997, 1998a, 1999c; Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004). However, in recent molecular studies Wedin et al. (2000b, 2002) have shown that the families Caliciaceae and Physciaceae form a monophyletic group. Since the name Caliciaceae has always been used in a very specific sense to accommodate a relatively small group of mazediate, prototunicate lichen genera [Acroscyphus, Calicium, Cyphelium, Texosporium, Thelomma and Tholurna (Tibell 1984a, 1996b)], Wedin & Grube (2002) propose that Caliciaceae becomes a synonym of Physciaceae nom. cons. (see also Helms et al. 2003). Calicium is a cosmopolitan genus, with some 25 species presently known (Tibell 1984a, 1994, 1998a, 1999a, 1999c, 2003; Tibell & Ryan 2004a), but the genus as present circumscribed is not monophyletic (Tibell 2003). Most species are found in cool to temperate areas and only a small number are confined to the tropics. They inhabit mainly bark or lignum, occurring in sheltered situations having low light intensity and high humidity, mainly on old trees in old-growth forests. Several taxa are red-listed in various Northern Hemisphere countries (e.g. Thor & Arvidsson 1999) and are often used together with other "pin lichens" as biomonitors of lichen diversity, forest stand structure and continuity (Tibell 1992; Rikkinen 1995; Holien 1996). Keys to European and Scandinavian, Australasian, Central and South American, and to African species are given by Tibell (1987, 1996a, 1998a, 1999a, 1999c, 2001b). New Zealand species are discussed in Tibell (1985, 1987). Eleven taxa are so far recognised from New Zealand. Calicium martinii Js.Murray (Murray 1960a: 182) is a non-lichenised hyphomycete (Tibell 1987: 272–273).