Flora of New Zealand Series

=Usnea societatis Vain., Univ. Calif. Publs Bot. 12 (1): 4 (1924).

Description : Flora (1985: 602 – as Usnea societatis).

Chemistry : Medulla K+ yellow→red; containing norstictic, salazinic (tr.), protocetraric and usnic acids.

N: Northland (Three Kings Is, Radar Bush, Moturoa I., Poor Knights Is, Great Barrier I., Kawau I.), South Auckland (Whale I.). A northern coastal species on Metrosideros excelsa and other coastal trees and shrubs, rarely on rocks. Known also from Mauritius, India, Malaysia, Java, the Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Norfolk I., Fiji, Tahiti, and Australia (Stevens 1991 [distribution map of species fig. 4.4], 1999, 2004b; Ohmura 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Pantropical

Illustrations : Stevens (1999: 12, fig. 2A; 14, fig. 3A; 17, fig. 5A); Ohmura (2001: 13, fig. 11C, D); Flora of Australia56A (2004: 101, pl. 33).

Usnea nidifica is characterised by: the corticolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; the robust, long (10–40 cm), pendent branches with anisotomic-dichotomous branching; the waxy, continuous subfaveolate to faveolate surface, that is here and there sorediate (soredia arising from small, fleck-like pseudocyphellae and becoming isidiate); and norstictic and salazinic acids as major secondary compounds.