Flora of New Zealand Series

Cornicularia ochroleuca β nigricans Ach., Lich. Univ.: 615 (1810).

Thallus erect sometimes becoming decumbent, prostrate and straggling, but then erect at the base, 5-10 cm tall, branching irregular to subdichotomous. Branches terete, becoming compressed basally, slightly faveolate, to 1.5 mm diam., surface matt, rarely shining, pink to pale brown towards base, dark brown to black towards apices, sometimes dark brown to black throughout, lateral spinules, soralia and apothecia unknown in New Zealand material. Pseudocyphellae sparse to abundant, conspicuous on median and thicker branches, elongate, fusiform, white, to 0.8 mm long, plane, concave or subconvex. Chemistry: Cortex and medulla: K+ faint yellow, KC+ (fading fast), C+ rose red (fading fast), Pd+ yellow. Alectorialic acid [Hawksworth Lichenologist 5: 225 (1972)].

N: Kaimanawa Ra. to Tararua Ra., and Mt Hikurangi. S: Mountains of Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Mt Peel etc.) southwards to the mountains of Fiordland, though mainly occuring on drier ranges east of the Main Divide and throughout the Central Otago Ranges. St: (Mt Anglem). Subalpine to alpine, 1000-2500 m.

Bipolar

A. nigricans is a common component of fellfield vegetation in the mountains east of the Main Divide especially, and occurs on soil, rock or low vegetation often in association with Cetraria, Coelocaulon and Brigantiaea. It is a circumpolar species in the Northern Hemisphere and also in the Southern Hemisphere where it is known from Tierra del Fuego, Tasmania and the South Orkney Is. It was first collected in New Zealand by J.C. Bidwill from the mountains of Nelson in the 19th century. Its rediscovery on Mt Hikurangi by W.R.B. Oliver in the 1920s led to an investigation of the bipolar element in New Zealand's lichen flora by G. Einar Du Rietz in 1926-27 [ Rep. Australas. Ass. Advmt. Sci. 19: 628-635 (1929); Ark. Bot. 22A (13): 1-25 (1940)].