Flora of New Zealand Series

U. propagulifera (Vainio) Llano, Monogr. Lich. Fam. Umbilicariaceae: 162 (1950).

Gyrophora cylindrica f. propagulifera Vainio, Res. Voy. S. Y. Belg. Bot. Lich.: 10 (1903).

Thallus 1.5-4(-6) cm diam., mono- or polyphyllous, ± rosette-forming to rather irregular, undulating to convolute, or ± plicate-subfaveolate in parts, margins incised-ragged, ± copiously rhizinate, rhizines coralloid. Upper surface dull, pale grey-white, dark grey, brownish-grey or buff, ± white-pruinose to scabrid-areolate or granular-verrucose, rhizinate, rhizines black or grey-black, coralloid, with numerous, dark thallospores. Lower surface dull to minutely scabrid-areolate, lacunose, bullate to uneven-undulate, pale buff to brown-grey, sparsely to densely rhizinate. Rhizines coralloid, best developed towards margins. Apothecia scattered, few to ± numerous, pedicellate, 0.2-2.0 mm diam., convex, convolute, distinctly gyrose, black, epruinose.

S: Canterbury (Glen Lyon Station near Lake Ohau), Otago (Old Man Ra.); on exposed alpine rocks 1200-1800 m. With Neuropogon ciliatus, Parmelia signifera and other species of Umbilicaria.

Bipolar

U. propagulifera is closely related to U. cylindrica from which it is most readily distinguished by the abundant production of thallospores on the rhizines of the upper surface and margins.

U. propagulifera and U. cylindrica appear to form a species pair of a derived, sexually-reproducing species, and an ancestral asexually-reproducing species [Topham et al., Lichenologist 14: 47-52 (1982)]. The species in the few New Zealand gatherings examined is fertile, in contrast to Northern Hemisphere populations which are mainly sterile. See also Seaward et al., [ Nova Hedwigia 38: 703-716 (1983)].