Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Parmeliella minor Darb., Wiss, Ergebn. Schwed. Südpolar. Exped. 1901–1903, IV (11): 16 (1912).

Description : Thallus small-squamulose, in small rosettes or spreading irregularly, to 2 cm wide. Squamules 1–2(–3) mm wide, incised, mostly flat, contiguous or scattered on a ±developed prothallus. Upper surface brownish; margins generally paler. Lower surface whitish with blue-black rhizohyphae. Apothecia abundant, sessile, laminal, to 2.5 mm diam.; disc convex at maturity, brown; thalline exciple rarely present, generally excluded at maturity or completely lacking. Ascospores 20–22 × 16–18 μm, often apiculate at one end; exospore rugulose.

Chemistry : ±ursolic acid.

N: Northland (N of Waiwera), Gisborne (Mt Hikurangi). S: Nelson (Denniston Plateau). Overgrowing other lichens (Mycobilimbia australis) on rock in northern pasture, and on the bark of mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides) and on stumps of the same tree, 100–1200 m. Also known from SE Australia (Jørgensen & Galloway 1992b: 264; Jørgensen 2001b: 112; McCarthy 2003c, 2006) and Chilean Tierra del Fuego (Darbishire 1912: 16; Jørgensen 1999a: 261).

Austral

Illustrations : Darbishire (1912: pl. 3, fig. 31 – as Parmeliella minor); Jørgsensen & Galloway (1992b: 265, fig. 93A – as Pannaria decipiens).

Fuscopannaria minor is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the small-squamulose brownish thallus often scattered on a prominent black prothallus; and the convex apothecia with a ±excluded or absent thalline exciple. It is a variable species closely related to F. crustata and F. subimmixta, which occur on rocks and soil and which have thicker, olivaceous thalli, and a thick, distinct thalline exciple bordering on the often darker-coloured apothecial discs. Formerly considered as a "subalpine form" of F. decipiens (P.M.Jørg. & D.J.Galloway) P.M. Jørg. (Jørgensen & Galloway 1992b: 264) it is more clearly crustose than F. decipiens and has smaller apothecia (less than 1 mm diam.), that are usually convex and with or without an irregular thalline margin. F. decipiens is an Australian endemic, not yet known from New Zealand (Jørgensen 1999a: 261).