Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Byssus candelaris L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1169 (1753).

Description : Flora (1985: 93–94).

Chemistry : Thallus C−, K and KC− or +orange darkening to red and finally black, Pd− or +orange. Three chemodemes are present, (I) containing calycin; (II) containing pinastric acid; (III) containing calycin and pinastric acid.

N: Northland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Ch: Very widely distributed, photophobous and nitrophilous, on bark of both native (Dacrycarpus, Dacrydium, Nothofagus, Podocarpus) and introduced trees (Acer, Juglans, Prunus etc.) and on rocks from s.l. to 1370 m. It is often found on unpainted fenceposts and timbered buildings, and is common in urban environments on wayside trees in parks and gardens where it appears to be able to withstand moderate loads of atmospheric pollutants (Johnson et al. 1998). Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North and South America, Sierra Leone, East Africa, South Africa, Mauritius, Socotra, Asia, Thailand, and Australia (Laundon 1981; Kalb 1991; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Aptroot 2002e; Becker 2002; Wolseley 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Mies & Schultz 2004; Obermayer 2004; Santesson et al. 2004; Tønsberg 2004a).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Laundon (1981: 111, fig. 5); Dobson (1992: 100; 2000: 115); Wirth (1995b: 291); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 97); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 31); Brodo et al. (2001: 223, pl. 198); Lumbsch et al. (2001b: 17).

Chrysothrix candelaris is a very easily recognised, bright-yellow leprose species, more common in coastal than inland habitats. In Europe it forms the species-poor association Leprarietum candelaris and in New Zealand too it is often a dominant epiphyte of introduced trees supporting an impoverished lichen mycobiota. On podocarp scales and bark it is commonly associated with Miltidea ceroplasta and Thelotrema lepadinum. Chemodeme I occurs in South I. populations, and chemodeme II in North I. populations. Carl Walrond (2002) has recently and memorably written of this species "In the dark forest, yellow lichen flashes from rimu bark like lightning seen through closed eyelids", a fitting and poetic description!