Cladonia imbricata
Family
Cladoniaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the tapering pale podetia, ±naked above, with patches of cortex at the base and development of small microsquamules, giving a somewhat fuzzy to bristly appearance to the podetia (it looks like a skinny Christmas tree).
Distribution
North Island: Northland, Auckland, South Auckland. South Island: Nelson (Diamond Lakes), Westland (Aorangi Reserve Greymouth, Whataroa River), Canterbury (Governor’s Bush Mt Cook), Otago (Kea Basin, Rees Valley, Otakau Bush, Goat Island Otago Harbour), Southland (Cascade Cove, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, Manapouri, Greenhills, Awarua Bay).
Known also in Australia including Tasmania.
Habitat
Broadleaf forest, trackside. Subalpine in boulderfields and alpine fellfield.
Detailed description
Basal sqamules persistent, 1–4 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, incised, involute, entire or sparingly to deeply incised, occasionally with coralloid-isidioid lobules at margins, yellowish to green-grey above, glossy at first, whitish below, darkening with age, esorediate. Podetia 0.5–3.5(–5) cm tall, narrow, tubular, straight, esorediate, subulate or blunt, unbranched or very sparingly branched, rarely cup-forming, cups narrow, closed, base of podetia with persistent cortex or melanotic, podetial surface mostly ecorticate, appearing sorediate but actually comprising masses of corticate granules that develop into incised or rounded squamules, elongating to several millimetres, coralloid, imbricating, especially towards top of podetia. Apothecia brown, solitary or in small, apical clusters. Pycnidia dark-brown to black, slightly constricted at base. Conidia falciform, 1–2 × 0.2–0.3 μm.
Chemistry: Medulla K−, Pd+ red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid (major) and accessory physodalic and homosekikaic acids.
Similar taxa
Similar to Cladonia darwinii but with imbricating squamules on the podetia.
Substrate
Terricolous
Etymology
imbricata: From the Latin imbricatus ‘tiled’, refers to overlapping features such as leaves
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (8 April 2021). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features and Similar taxa sections copied from Galloway (1985) & Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Hammer S. 2003: Notes on Cladoniaceae in New Zealand. Bryologist 106(3): 410-430.
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.