Flora of New Zealand Series

Parmelia martinii Esslinger, J. Hattori bot. Lab. 42: 123 (1977).

Holotype (fide Esslinger, 1977): New Zealand. Otago. Kakanui Mountains. J.S. Thomson ZA66, W.

Thallus closely appressed, moderately to tightly adnate, 3-6 cm diam., saxicolous. Lobes 1-3 mm wide, flat to moderately convex at tips, more strongly convex centrally, elongate to linear-elongate. Upper surface dark brown to brown-black, paler and yellower or red-brown at apices, smooth or irregularly pitted at lobe tips, wrinkled-plicate centrally, dull to shining, especially at apices, without isidia. Lower surface very dark brown or black, pale at apices, ± flat or weakly channelled, dull to subnitid at apices, sparsely rhizinate. Rhizines concolorous with lower surface, to 0.5 mm long. Apothecia common, sessile, concave at first, becoming plane, margins entire. Ascospores ellipsoid, 8.5-10.5 × 4.5-6 µm. Pycnidia common. Conidia bifusiform, 4.5-6.3 × 1 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K-, HNO3 + dark blue-green; medulla K-, C-, KC+ rose, Pd-. Physodic acid.

S: Canterbury (Torlesse Ra., Arrowsmith Ra., Cameron Valley, Mt Peel), Otago (Mt Ida), Southland (Homer).

Endemic

N. martinii is one of three similar species endemic to the mountains of South I. N. pictada is distinguished from it mainly by its production of divaricatic acid (KC-) and N. peloloba by its production of alectoronic acid (KC+, UV+ blue-white). Sympatric N. imitatrix also contains physodic acid but is distinguished by thinner, flatter lobes that are short and rounded or only slightly elongate, and by its generally paler colour.