Flora of New Zealand Series

E. sorediatum D. Galloway et P.M. Jørg., Lichenologist 7: 139 (1975).

Holotype: New Zealand. Three Kings Is, Great I., south side of Tasman Valley on Leptospermum ericoides scrub. D. J. Galloway, 21 November, 1970, CHR 381094!

Thallus foliose, lobate, to 4 cm diam., corticolous. Lobes broad, to 5 mm wide, short, margins ascending sometimes strongly involute and crenate, developing prominent, bluish, limbiform soralia on the edges of the upturned lower surface, soredia coarse, granular, greyish-blue, often trapped on the tomentum of the upper surface and thus becoming spread superficially over the lobes. Upper surface greyish-brown, finely tomentose, tomentum rather variable in appearance and texture from a uniform, thin, whitish bloom to a long (12 mm), buff or yellowish, tangled or loosely-woven mat. Lower surface white or pale cream, not distinctly yellow, lower cortex and veins absent. Rhizines blue-black, simple to squarrosely branched, to 3 mm long, restricted to margins where they form small, dense tufts. Apothecia not seen.

N: North Auckland (Three Kings Is to Kaipara Harbour), Auckland (Rangitoto I. to Waiotapu Valley), Wellington (Ruahine Ra.). S: Nelson (Lake Rotoiti, Maruia Valley). Canterbury (Boyle River).

Palaeotropical

E. sorediatum is characterised by the small, incurling lobes, exposing the white lower surface, and the marginal bluish soralia. It occurs in humid habitats on bark or twigs.