Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Sticta lividofusca Kremp., Verhandl. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien26: 448 (1876).

=Sticta amphisticta C.Knight, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 12: 267 (1888).

=Pseudocyphellaria knightii D.J. Galloway in D.J. Galloway et al. Lichenologist 15 (2): 143 (1983).

Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco, 1873, Charles Knight – M [fide Galloway & James (1980: 300)].

Sticta amphisticta. Lectotype: New Zealand. Sine loco (probably Wellington), Charles Knight – WELT Herb Knight Vol. 16A, p. 23 [fide Galloway & James (1980: 300)]. Isolectotypes – BM, WELT Herb. Knight Vol. 36, p. 14.

Pseudocyphellaria knightii. Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Nelson, five miles N of Westport, on bark of Dacrycarpus dacrydioides on side of small stream, iii.1980, D.J. Galloway s.n. – CHR 375745. Isotype – BM.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 448–449 – as Pseudocyphellaria knightii; 449–450). See also Galloway (1998a: 177–178 – as Pseudocyphellaria knightii; 183–185).

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

N: Northland (lat. 35 ºS) to Cook Strait. S: Nelson to Southland both E and W of the Main Divide, St: (N coast to Port Pegasus), Ch.: A: [map in Galloway (1988a: 186, fig. 91)]. Coastal and inland in montane to subalpine habitats, s.l. to 1000 m. It is an epiphyte of coastal trees and shrubs and also occurs inland in lowland forest and subalpine scrub; rarely on limestone (Mt Hoary Head, Nelson) or coastal rocks. It prefers cool, humid conditions either alongside streams or rivers, or in areas where cloud cover is frequent and rainfall moderate to high and where there is sufficient light. Individuals exposed to full sun have thicker more coriaceous thalli, suffused red-brown, whereas those from shaded habitats are thinner and pale-green.

Endemic

Exsiccati : Zwack-Holzhausen, W., Lichenes Exsiccati. Heidelberg, No. 892 [no date or fascicle number] – (as Sticta amphisticta – UPS!).

Illustrations : Knight (1880: pl. XII, fig. 1 – as Sticta amphisticta); Martin & Child (1972: 135, plate 40 – as Pseudocyphellaria amphisticta); Galloway (1988a: 178, fig. 86, – as Pseudocyphellaria knightii; 184, fig. 90); Lange (1992: 47 – photosymbiodeme); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 62, 63).

Pseudocyphellaria lividofusca is characterised by: broadly rounded, entire-margined lobes; a smooth, coriaceous upper surface having prominent, scattered, white pseudocyphellae that are not associated with either isidia or phyllidia; a white medulla; a green or cyanobacterial photobiont; a densely tomentose, ochraceous-brown to brown-black lower surface, with prominent, conical-verruciform white pseudocyphellae; and a two-hopane chemistry.