Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Peltigera pellucida f. dilacerata Gyeln., Österr. Bot. Z. 77: 224 (1928).

Peltigera pellucida f. dilacerata. Holotype: New Zealand. Auckland, Jelinek 46, – W (Vitikainen 2004b: 466).

Description : Thallus orbicular to broadly spreading, 2–10(–15) cm diam. Lobes linear–elongate to subirregular, 1–3(–5) cm long, 4–10(–12) mm wide. Margins entire to occasionally shallowly notched or crenulate, sometimes phyllidiate, apices sometimes ±downturned, not noticeably thickened below, sometimes suffused red-brown, here and there thinly tomentose. Upper surface dark slatey blue-black when wet, pale bluish grey when dry, smooth to shallowly wrinkled, dimpled or undulate, matt or glossy, thinly tomentose at or near margins and apices and close to apothecial discs; tomentum, ragged, whitish or pale-buff, not thickly developed as in P. canina. Lower surface white in a broad marginal zone, darkening slightly to pale-buff towards centre, or white from margins to centre. Veins narrow, 0.2–0.5 mm diam., pale-buff or yellowish, to brown-black or black centrally, raised, anastomosing, surface smooth; interstices broadly polygonal or lenticular, white, fibrous or roughened, often rather thin and appearing somewhat greyish through exposure of cyanobacterial layer. Rhizines discrete, pale, concolorous with veins, darkening to brownish or brown-black at centre, slender, simple, smooth-surfaced, 3–8(–10) mm long. Apothecia erect, on short to elongated marginal stalks; discs flat to ±inrolled and saddle-shaped, 3–6 mm diam., matt, epruinose, pale to dark red-brown; margins pale-buff, corrugate–scabrid, soon excluded by disc, buff-tomentose and ±ridged below. Ascospores colourless, acicular, 3–7-septate, (38–)45–60(–70) × 2–3.5 μm.

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Panguru), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.), South Auckland (Hunua Ra., Te Aroha, Pirongia), Taranaki (New Plymouth), Wellington (Erua, Akitio, Tararua Ra., Orongorongo Ra.). S: Nelson (Lake Rotoroa, Matakitaki Valley), Marlborough (Mt Stokes, Wairau Valley, Waihopai Valley, Hundalee), Westland (Alec's Knob, Haast Pass, Ngatau Valley), Canterbury (Hinewai Reserve Banks Peninsula, Craigieburn Ra., Godley Valley, Governor's Bush, Waihi Gorge, Mt Nessing Hunters Hills), Otago (Glendhu Bluff, Manuka Gorge, Waipori Gorge, Maungatua, Dunedin, Taieri Mouth), Southland (McKinnon Pass, Eglinton Valley, Waihopai Reserve Invercargill, Te Wae Wae Bay). St: (Glory Cove) [map in Galloway (2000d: 10, fig. 2 – as Peltigera degenii)]. On damp soil and litter and among mosses, on rotting logs and rocks in shaded habitats, in scrub, open forest, and on roadside banks, s.l. to 1000 m. Previously recorded from New Zealand as P. virescens, P. virescens var. tasmaniae and as P. canina var. leucorhiza (Zahlbruckner 1941; Murray 1960c) and as P. degenii (Galloway 2000d).

?Endemic

Peltigera dilacerata is characterised by: the terricolous/saxicolous habit; its narrow, whitish or buff veins, and long, simple, slender, smooth-surfaced, pale rhizines, no secondary metabolites, and thin, scattered, patches of tomentum at the apices of lobes and sometimes near young apothecia. It is distinguished from P. nana by the colour and morphology of the veins and rhizines, and the presence of scattered tomentum on lobe margins. The species is discussed by Vitikainen (2004b: 465–466).