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Lichens (1985) - Flora of New Zealand Lichens
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Sphaerophorus Pers.

SPHAEROPHORUS Pers., 1794  nom. cons. 

Thallus fruticose or palmate-foliose, heteromerous, of very variable morphology, branches terete to distinctly flattened, corticate, commonly dimorphic, fertile branches larger than shorter, and often ± richly branched, sterile branches. Cortex continuous and of equal thickness in terete species, or forming a markedly thicker upper layer and a thinner lower layer in flattened, dorsiventral species, of thick-walled, laterally fused, unorientated hyphae. Photobiont green, Protococcus, confined to a distinct layer between cortex and medulla, cells single, spherical, (5-)6-12 µm diam. Medulla of longitudinally orientated, colourless, thick-walled hyphae. Apothecia terminal or subterminal, apical, subapical to ventral, often with sterile margins, producing a characteristic mazaedium composed of sterile elements and spores freed from asci which form a loose, dry, black or brownish-black powdery mass which may be partly covered by an enclosing receptacle. Asci 8-spored, clavate to cylindrical, wall disintegrating at an early stage of development liberating partially mature spores into hymenium. Ascospores simple, spherical to broadly ellipsoid, colourless, grey or brown or purplish-brown, often with a dense deposit of carbonaceous material on the outer surface.

Key

1
Branches terete, uniform in colour, mazaedia apical
2
Branches compressed, at least basally, lower surface paler than upper surface, mazaedia subapical or ventral
3
2
Branches with numerous, small coralloid branchlets, cortex 80-110 µm thick, yellow-green
ramulifer
Branches without coralloid branchlets, cortex thin, papery, 30-45 µm thick, pale green or whitish
tener
3
Main branches distinctly flattened, more than twice as broad as thick
4
Main branches subterete to slightly compressed, less than twice as broad as thick
6
4
Branches robust, 4-12 mm wide, broadly flattened, fruiting receptacle ± scrobiculate on sterile side, sphaerophorin absent
scrobiculatus
Branches 2-6 mm wide, fruiting receptacle not scrobiculate on sterile side, sphaerophorin present
5
5
Fertile stems rarely branched, apothecia 1.5-4 mm wide without flared margins, primary branches with thickened margins
patagonicus
Fertile stems commonly branched especially near base, apothecia 4-6 mm with flared margins, primary branches, without thickened margins
macrocarpus
6
Primary branches short, 1-2.5 mm tall, apothecia with short, dentate or flabellate isidioid structures on upper surface, ascospores grey
microsporus
Primary branches elongate, 2-7 mm tall, apothecia without isidioid structures on upper surface, ascospores brown, rarely grey
7
7
Margins of branches with isidioid branchlets, ascospores 10-16 µm diam.
8
Margins of branches without isidioid branchlets, ascospores 5.5-9.5 µm diam.
10
8
Primary branches generally exceeding 2 mm across, apothecia to twice as broad as supporting fertile branch, mazaedium persistently partially veiled at maturity, ascospores brown (10-)12-16(-18) µm diam.
insignis
Primary branches 1-2.5 mm wide, mazaedium exposed at an early stage
9
9
Primary branches to 2.5 mm wide, apothecia similar in width to supporting fertile branch, ascospores brown, 9-14 µm diam., K- (isousnic acid absent)
murrayi
Primary branches 1 mm wide, apothecia wider than supporting fertile branch, ascospores brown, 14-16 µm diam., K+ yellow (isousnic acid)
notatus
10
Fertile branches 1-1.5 cm long, apothecia without marginal isidioid branchlets, Pd+ red (protocetraric acid)
imshaugii
Fertile branches to 5 cm long, apothecia with small, irregular, marginal isidioid branchlets, Pd+ orange (stictic acid)
melanocarpus

Sphaerophorus, related to Calycidium and Thysanophoron, is included in the family Sphaerophoraceae. It is primarily a Southern Hemisphere genus of c. 21 species, 11 of which are known from New Zealand, a major centre of speciation. Species range from Northland (lat. 34° S) to the subantarctic islands (lat. 54° S) and from s.l. to 1500 m., with S. melanocarpus and S. tener being the most widespread taxa. Murray's [ T.R.S.N.Z. (Bot.) 88: 185-195 (1960)] account of the New Zealand species is now unreliable, and the most recent revision [Ohlsson "A Revision of the lichen genus Sphaerophorus." University microfilms, Xerox company. Ann Arbor, Michigan. pp. 270 (1974)] although treating New Zealand species in detail, is still unpublished. The following account is based on Ohlsson's thesis.

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