Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Placodium sublobulatum Nyl., Lich. Fueg. Patagon.: 71 (1888).

Description : Flora (1985: 69–70).

Chemistry : Thallus and apothecia K+ purple; containing parietin.

N: Wellington (Paekakariki, S of Wellington Airport). S: Marlborough (Long I.), Canterbury (Tumbledown Bay Banks Peninsula), Otago (Cornish Head, Karitane, Long Beach, Wickliffe Bay, Sandymount, Tomahawk, Goat I., Blackhead, Bruce's Rocks, Taieri Mouth, Taieri Beach, Akatore, Motu Rata, Chrystalls Beach, Kaka Point), Southland (Mullet Bay, Cosy Nook) St: Ch: (Tapuangi-Monau Reef, Ellice Point Waitangi). A: (Rose I.). C: (Tucker Cove, Mt Azimuth, Whale Bay E of Capstan Cove). Widespread on coastal rocks at high-tide mark, above the black Verrucaria zone, sometimes intermixed with C. circumlutosa, C. cribrosa, C. litoralis, C. papanui, C. rosei and Mastodia tessellata. A southern, circumpolar lichen known also from South Africa, SE Australia and Tasmania, southern Chile, Tierra del Fuego, Staten I., Falkland Is, Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia, Bouvetøya, Marion I., Prince Edward Is, South Sandwich Is, South Orkney Is, South Shetland Is. Antarctic Peninsula (Santesson 1944; Almborn 1966; Redón 1985; Øvstedal 1986: 43; Kärnefelt 1989; Søchting & Øvstedal 1992; Aptroot & van der Knapp 1993; Søchting & Olech 1995; Galloway & Quilhot 1999; Calvelo & Liberatore 2001; Øvstedal & Gremmen 2001; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Søchting et al. 2004).

Austral

Illustrations : Santesson (1944: pl. 3, fig. 1); Moore & Irwin (1978: 15, fig. 10 – as Caloplaca sp.); Redón (1985: lam. 15, fig. 64); Kärnefelt (1989: 166, fig. 20; 173, fig. 53; 1998: 31, fig. 1); Søchting & Øvstedal (1992; 130, fig. 6); Øvstedal & Lewis Smith (2001: pl. 22; pl. 23).

Caloplaca sublobulata is characterised by: the saxicolous (coastal rocks) habit; the distinctive bright-yellow colour, without any trace of red; a continuous to areolate thallus, the areolae angular, separated by deep cracks, the surface smooth to knobbly papillate (×10 lens); with or without a marginal prothallus; apothecia prominent, central, large, (0.2–)0.5–1(–1.4) mm diam., disc orange, matt, with a prominent, yellow thalline margin forming a distinctive collar around fruits, appearing zeorine; hyymenium (80–)100–112(–120) μm tall; asci cylindrical 75–100 × 13–15 μm; ascospores broadly ellipsoidal, 13–15(–18) × 5–7(–8) μm; septum (3–)5(–6) μm thick. It is discussed in considerable detail by Santesson (1944: 21–23) and in Kärnefelt (1998: 30–31). Øvstedal & Hawksworth (1986) reported the lichenicolous * Polycoccum rugulosarium (Linds.) D.Hawksw., on thalli of C. sublobulata from Bouvetøya.