Flora of New Zealand Series

Placodium sublobulatum Nyl., Lich. Fueg. Patagon.: 71 (1888).

Thallus crustose, orange-yellow or pale orange-red (paler in shaded sites), ± continuous, wrinkled-plicate to ± areolate centrally, ± plicate-radiate at margins, 1-3(-5) cm diam., sometimes very thin and somewhat fibrous, the projecting hyphae resembling a yellow prothallus, K+ purple, saxicolous. Apothecia scattered, often numerous centrally, rarely towards margins, sessile to subpedicellate, 0.2-1.2 mm diam., rounded or contorted through mutual pressure, disc plane to subconvex, concolorous with thallus, matt to slightly roughened, sometimes with plugs of sterile tissue centrally and appearing ± gyrose, margins prominent, entire, concolorous with thallus, thalline exciple below disc pale orange or yellowish, smooth. Ascospores biseriate, 2-locular, fusiform 12-17 × 6.5-8.5 µm, septum 4-6 µm thick.

N: S: St: A: Widespread on coastal rocks at high tide mark, above black Verrucaria zone.

Austral, also in South Africa.