Flora of New Zealand Series

=PLAGIOGRAPHIS C.Knight & Mitt., 1860

Type : Opegrapha vulgata (Ach.) Ach. [=Lichen vulgatus Ach.]

Type : Plagiographis devia C.Knight & Mitt.  Opegrapha devia (C.Knight & Mitt.) Nyl.]

Description : Flora (1985: 325).

Opegrapha is included in the family Roccellaceae (Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005). It is a widespread genus of some 300 species (Kirk et al. 2001), with the majority being lichenised. However, some 45 species are lichenicolous (Coppins 1987; Clauzade et al. 1989; Alstrup & Hawksworth 1990; Hafellner 1994a; Coppins & Kondratyuk 1998; Ertz & Diederich 2003; Follmann & Werner 2003; Ertz et al. 2004). Recent studies of these lichenicolous taxa show that they have a restricted host range, most being either species- or genus-specific, or more rarely, family-specific (Coppins & Kondratyuk 1998: 9). Foliicolous taxa of Opegrapha are discussed in Santesson (1952: 96–103) who also gives a concise history of the taxonomy of the genus, and a recent account of additional foliicolous species is given in Matzer (1996). Northern Hemisphere populations of Opegrapha are well documented (Pentecost & Coppins 1983; Sérusiaux 1985; Torrente-Paños 1987; Torrente & Egea 1989a, 1989b, 1992), Pentecost & James 1992; and Redinger's (1940) account from South America has useful information. Saxicolous species of Opegrapha with 3-septate ascospores are urgently in need of a modern revision (Sparrius et al. 2002b: 63). To date, New Zealand populations of Opegrapha have not been studied in any detail. Glenys Hayward's treatment (Hayward 1977) discusses six species and is the basis of the Flora account (Galloway 1985a: 325–328). Subsequently, two new lichenicolous taxa were described from New Zealand collections (Triebel 1989; Kalb et al. 1995) and Coppins & Kondratyuk (1998) reported O. trassii as being present in New Zealand. At present, 15 species are known in New Zealand, but the genus is still much in need of collection and study here.