Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Stictina fragillima var. dissimilis Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 1 (2): 336 (1860). [For additional synonymy see Galloway & James (1980: 297) Galloway (1988a: 122–123; 1994b: 131) and Galloway et al. (2001b: 58).]

=Sticta intricata var. fimbriata Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 123 (1941).

Stictina intricata var. fimbriata. Lectotype: New Zealand. Wellington, Totara Reserve, Pohangina River, on Podocarpus totara, 31.i.1935, H.H. Allan V 186 – W [fide Galloway (1988a: 123)].

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 438–439). See also Galloway (1988a: 123–124).

Chemistry : 7β-acetoxyhopane-22-ol, hopane-7β, 22-diol (tr.), hopane-15α,22-diol.

N: Northland (Kawerua) to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland, St: (Mt Anglem to Port Pegasus). A: Throughout [map in Galloway (1988a: 127, fig. 56)], lowland, coastal and inland in humid, low-light habitats (the most common species of the genus in deep shade), occasionally subalpine, s.l. to 700 m. It grows readily on damp soil, among mosses or on rocks on the forest floor, on tree roots and on tree trunks in moderate to dense shade, but it is rare on twigs. A significant nitrogen-fixer in these habitats. Known also from Papua New Guinea, Norfolk I., Juan Fernandez and E Australia from Queensland to Tasmania (Galloway 1992c, 1994b; Galloway et al. 2001b; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Palaeotropical

Illustrations : Galloway (1988a: 123, fig. 54; 125, fig. 55); Kantvilas & Jarman (1999: 118).

Pseudocyphellaria dissimilis is characterised by: linear-elongate to shallowly rounded, subdichotomously to irregularly branched lobes, that are often canaliculate and with entire to isidiate or phyllidiate margins; a smooth to shallowly wrinkled upper surface that is minutely maculate and papillate (×10 lens) and with laminal isidia and phyllidia; a white medulla; a cyanobacterial photobiont; a pale-brownish often costate lower surface with rather sparse, short tomentum, and scattered, white, fleck-like pseudocyphellae; and a two-hopane chemistry. It may be parasitised by the lichenicolous fungi * Arthonia fuscopurpurea, * Plectocarpon gallowayi and * Pyrenidium actinellum (q.v.).