Flora of New Zealand Series

Thallus crustose, wholly leprose and decorticate, yellowish, with or without marginal lobes. Prothallus not apparent. Photobiont green, ?Chlorophyceae. Medulla usually white. Sporocarps and pycnidia absent.

Leproplaca is a genus of three leprose lichens included in the family Teloschistaceae. Species are found mainly on calcareous rocks, rarely on acid rocks, in Europe, the Mediterranean and in New Zealand. It is distinguished from Caloplaca by its decorticate thallus and absence of sporocarps, and from Lepraria by its chemistry (K+ violet-red parietin) which allies it with the Teloschistaceae [Laundon Lichenologist 6: 102-105 (1974)]. Two species are recognised in New Zealand*.

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* Leproplaca xantholyta (Nyl.) Harm. is also known from New Zealand. Collected from limestone at Kaihoka Lakes, Nelson by J.K. Bartlett.