Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen lepadinus Ach., Lich. suec. prodr.: 30 (1799) ["1798"].

Description : Flora (1985: 574).

Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is, Te Paki Trig Bush, Herekino, Kawerua, Tutamoe, Bay of Islands, Tapu Bush N Kaipara, Hen & Chickens Is, Fanal I., Little Barrier I., Great Barrier I., Helena Bay, Wellsford), Auckland (Waitakere Ra.), South Auckland (Great Mercury I., Shoe I., Te Aroha, Pirongia, Motuhora I.), Gisborne (Waipatiki Beach), Wellington (Kapiti I., Tararua Ra., Eastbourne). S: Nelson (Kaihoka Lakes, Cobb Ridge, Ruby Lake), Marlborough (Ship Cove, d'Urville I., Chetwode Is), Canterbury, Otago, Southland (Manapouri). St: (Magog Fraser Peaks) A: C: Throughout, and often common, on bark of forest trees (Carpodetus, Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium, Griselinia, Hoheria, Nothofagus etc.), especially common on podocarp scales, s.l. to 1000 m. Known also from Great Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, Macaronesia, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Asia, Japan, Hawai'i, North, Cantral and South America, Juan Fernandez and Australia (Salisbury 1972a; Hale 1981; Botnen & Tønsberg 1988; Hawksworth 1992c; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Purvis et al. 1995; Elix & McCarthy 1998; Brodo et al. 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Coppins 2002b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santesson et al. 2004). Designated by the late Mason Hale as a "pantemperate weed".

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Lettau (1937: tab. 4, figs 44–46; tab. 9, fig. 125); Hale (1972: 193, fig. 2B; 1981: 257, fig. 8B); Phillips (1987: 166); Purvis et al. (1995: 340, fig. 2D); Wirth (1995b: 905); Dobson (2000: 379; 2005: 427); Matsumoto (2000: 8, fig. 1; 10, fig. 3; 33, fig. 14A, B; 35, fig. 15A, B); Brodo et al. (2001: 681, pl. 835); Lumbsch et al. (2004a : 12, 13).

Thelotrema lepadinum is characterised by: the corticolous habit; emergent apothecia with a blackish disc; colourless muriform ascospores with thick walls, 35–130 × 10–25 μm; and a negative thallus chemistry. Northern populations are sometimes parasitised by * Nectria byssophila (q.v.).