Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : Phaeophyscia orbicularis (Neck.) Moberg [=Lichen orbicularis Neck.]

Description : Flora (1985: 383).

Phaeophyscia is a genus of 28 species worldwide (Esslinger 2004a), included in the family Physciaceae nom. cons. (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005) with its main area of speciation in SE Asia (Moberg 1994b). Molecular studies show Phaeophyscia to be a well-defined, monophyletic group (Lohtander et al. 2000), being closer to Physconia than it is to Physcia. Characters used for species discrimination in Phaeophyscia are: soralia, isidia, colour of the lower surface, anatomy of the lower cortex (paraplectenchymatous or prosoplectenchymatous) and chemistry [only zeorin and skyrin (orange) are known from the genus] and these are discussed in Moberg (1977, 1983b, 1990, 1995). Asci in Phaeophyscia are Lecanora -type (Rambold et al. 1994; Malcolm & Galloway 1997: 186). For recent information on the genus and its distribution see Esslinger (1978b, 2004a), Swinscow & Krog (1988) and Moberg (1977, 1983b, 1993, 1994b, 1995, 2002f, 2004b). Five species are known in New Zealand, but the genus is still much in need of study and collection here. Material referred to the genus Physconia Poelt (Galloway 1985a: 395–396) in the first edition of the Flora, is referable to Phaeophyscia. It appears that Physconia s. str. is not present in New Zealand even though two widespread species are known from southern South America (Otte et al. 2002).