Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lecanora varia var. symmicta Ach., Lichenogr. universalis: 379 (1810).

=Lecanora perflavida Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 64 (1888).

=Aspicilia composita C.W.Dodge in B.A. Fineran, Trans. Roy. Soc. N. Z. (Bot.) 3 (17): 245 (1969).

=Lecanora prolifera C.W.Dodge, sensu Dodge in B.A. Fineran (1969: 248).

Lecanora perflavida. Holotype: New Zealand. Westland, Greymouth, R. Helms 255b – H-NYL 26317.

Aspicilia composta. Holotype: New Zealand. Snares Is, on branch of Hebe elliptica, 7.ii.1961, B.A. Fineran 120 – CANU.

Description : Flora (1985: 219).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC− or + yellowish, Pd−; containing usnic acid, zeorin and unidentified compounds.

N: S: St: (Big Stage I.). Sn: Throughout, on dry twigs and lignum (fenceposts, gates, power poles, weatherboards etc.); common and widespread, lowland, coastal and inland. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North America and Australia (Hawksworth & Dalby 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Śliwa & Wetmore 2000: 484–485; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Lumbsch & Elix 2004; Ryan et al. 2004b: 274–275; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Dobson (1992: 177; 2000: 203; 2005: 232); Hansen (1995: 97); Wirth (1995b: 491); Brodo et al. (2001: 388, pl. 435); Printzen (2001: 386, fig. 3E; 397, fig. 6C); Pope (2005: 61).

Lecanora symmicta is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the thin, creamish yellow, granular, effuse thallus without soredia; the crowded, sessile apothecia (often at thallus centre) held close to the thallus surface, the disc waxy, mustard-yellow, epruinose, the thalline exciple not visible; ellipsoidal ascospores, (9–)11–15(–20) × 7–12 μm; and usnic acid in the cortex.