Notes on Some New Zealand Species of Cladonia With Descriptions of Two New Species and One New Form

Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand : Botany, Volume 2, Issue 2, 30 November 1962, Page 39

Notes on Some New Zealand Species of Cladonia With Descriptions of Two New Species and One New Form

William Martin

By

[Received by the Editor, April 16, 1962.]

Summary

Two new species of the lichen genus Cladonia — C. murrayi and C. southlandica—are described, also a new form (/. fiordense) of C. aggregata. Previously unrecorded forms of other species are listed and new localities for several of the rarer species. It is suggested that plants formerly ascribed to C. impexa be merged in C. leptoclada, and that Nylander's genus Cladia be recognised for plants formerly comprising the section Clathrinae of the genus Cladonia.

Cladonia— Subsection Cocgiferae

Cladonia bacillaris (Ach.) Nyl. Three forms occur in New Zealand: f. clavata (slender, obtuse, and rareiy branched) ; f. elegantior (longer, stouter, and sometimes branched above) ; and f. reagens (with orange patches on podetia turning violet with KOH). Unrecorded areas include:

f. clavata (Ach.) Vain. Goromandel (8259); Wellington (4281); Pelorus Bridge, Nelson (8158);

Wairau Valley (4048); Greymouth (2158); Awatuna, Westland (6868); Blue Mountains, Otago (8142); Catlins, Otago (7027). f. elegantior Vain.

Molesworth (7603) ; Longwood Range (4466 a) ;Mt Pisgah (J.S.T. 1490) ; Saddle Hill, Dunedin (5111); Cass, Canterbury (6790); Greenhills (7092); Awarua Bay, Southland (8157); Arthurs Pass (9001).

f. reagens Evans. Wairau Valley (3012); Taupo (L. 202).

Cladonia hypoxantha Tuck. Typical plants of this uncommon species were recently obtained by me on Nothofagus at Black Gully, Blue Mountains, Otago.

Cladonia metalepta Nyl.

No plants of this species occur in any New Zealand herbaria from New Zealand sources. The Mt Hauhangatahi record is erroneous and, pending fuller information, the species should be deleted from the N.Z. flora.

Cladonia polydactyla (Floerke) Spreng. (Synonym C. flabelliformis (Flk.) Vain.) This species is more common than existing records indicate:

f. tubaeformis Flk. Longwood Range (6903); Cobb R., Nelson (7271); Cascade Creek (4490);

Awarua Bay (8160); Tophouse (3028); Ruahine Range (4593). f. scabriuscula (Del.).

Kuriwao, Southland (8015) ; Tophouse (4723) ; Mihiwaka, Dunedin (553 a) • Rotorua (K2, D.5.1.R.) ; Homer Tunnel (4425).

f. intertexta Vain. Wairau Valley (4290); Cascade Creek (4431).

Cladonia murrayi sp nov. Type. New Zealand; lodged in herbarium Botany Division D.5.1.R., Lincoln, N.Z.

Description. Plantae dense caespitosae. Thallus primarius persistens, squamis caespitosis majusculis, 2-3 cm longis, 1-I.scm latis, basi emoriente, multo palmate pinnateque ramosis, summis laciniis rigidus, ad Icm longis, lobatis, aliquando tuberculosis, apicis saepe reflexis, subtus albis ad vasi aureis, superne pallido-glaucescentibus, esorediosis, K + flavescens; P + flavescens dein rubra.

Pseudo-podetia 3-20 mm longa, simplicia aut irregulariter ramosa, cortica vel ecorticata, apotheciis terminata, cortice areolato vel isidivideo-squamuloso. Apothecia coccinea, ± globosa, .5-lmm diam., solitaria vel aggregata, sporis oblongis (10.5—12/i X 3j"). Spermagonia non visa.

Primary thalli 2-3 cm long, 1-I.scm wide, erect, palmately and pinnately divided, and aggregated into dense cushions 4—l Ocm in diameter, dying at base, only the upper laciniae remaining alive. Terminal laciniae .5-lcm long, narrow, lobulate, somewhat tuberculate, thick, with ultimate lobes ± reflexed, white below merging into orange-brown at the base; grey-green, glaucescent, or whitish above. Medulla white, also turning golden at base. Algal layer disintegrating with age into close or distant areoles or into isidioid squamules; cortex hyaline, uneven, ± 25/* thick; algae 8-12/J diam., probably Trebouxia. Spermagonia not seen. Apothecia globular or sub-globular, scarlet above, often brown at the base, .s—lmm diam.. sometimes single, more often in aggregates at tips of pseudo-podetia formed by podetia-like extensions of the primary thallus, lacking a central canal, but dividing into separate or agglutinate slender fibres, each terminated by the apothecia. The hypothecium is very thin or almost absent; hymenium about 45a* high, ± interspersed with red granules (K + crimson), paraphyses conglutinate, simple, 2/" diam., with inflated tips: asci about 40/u x Bft.

Distribution. Secretary Island, in Doubtful Sound, West Otago, in moss at an altitude of 1,000 metres.

This distinct species is distinguished from all other members of the Cocciferae in New Zealand in its formation of dense cushions and in bearing the apothecia on podetia-like extensions of the ultimate laciniae. The cushions are so compact as to exclude light, causing the death of the lower portions of the thalli, which thus form an amorphous mass from which it is difficult to isolate the individual squamae. This species was discovered by the late Dr James Murray, of Otago University, for whom it is named.

Cladonia cocciferae (L.) Willd. Though not a common species, the following forms have been noted: var. stemmatina Ach.

Near Taupo (L.209a) : Kaiangaroa Plains (L. 210). f. erandis Kremo.

Ohakune (J.E.A. A. 504); Taupo (K.W.A. L. 209). f. phyllocoma Flk.

Awarua Bay (8087); Black Gully, Blue Mts, Otago (9000). f. asotea Ach. Awarua Bay (8164).

Cladonia deformis (L.) Hoffm. New Zealand plants listed by me (4) as f. cyathiformis Kov. should be f. crenulata Ach. I am indebted to Dr Oscar Klement for this correction.

Subsection Foliosae Cladonia foliacea (Huds.) Shaer. var. alcicornis (Liarhtf.) Schaer.

Previous recordings have all been from the South Island, but it was recently collected by me at Wellington, in the North Island. Lewis Pass (6710); Awarua Bay (7213); Kaimate, Westland (6765). f. epiphylla (Schaer) Vain. Botanical Gardens, Wellington (8038).

Subsection Podostelides Cladonia subcariosa (Nyl.) Vain.

This species is at once distinguished from the other species of this subsection by the application of KOH, which induces a yellow reaction quickly changing to red. New records include: Rangitoto Island (H.H.A. 8244, 8261); Lake Manapouri (8254).

f. descendens Vain. Whitianga, Goromandel Peninsula (8240).

Subsection Ghasmariae Pending confirmation, the following species each listed on a single determination, cannot be recorded as certainly indigenous to New Zealand: Cladonia cenotea (Ach.) Schaer.; C. rangiformis Hoffm. f. pungens (Ach.) Vain.; and C. chondrotypa Vain. nni-_ r_ii : • J... i 3_•i_ll • l. _■ i:_ j._j i- tt.l.!'

lhe following variety based on a single recording is, however, listed by Vainio and presumably accepted as valid. Cladonia squamosa (Scop.) Hoffm. var. cornuta Mull. Arg.

Recorded by Miiller, to whom plants were submitted by Dr Charles Knight. It is listed by Vainio (5) in the appendix to Vol. 2of his monograph (1894), and is presumably a valid record.

. ~ , Subsection Unciales Some forms of Cladonia amaurocraea are difficult to discriminate from fnrrns of C. capitellata. One constant distinction concerns the spermagonial jelly \*hich in the former is white and in the latter red, but this test can seldom be applied. As a rule C. capitellata is less branched, the branches are shorter, and the habit is more erect. Some authors regard C. capitellata as a variety of C. amaurocraea.

Cladonia boryi Tuck

In his " Lichenes Novae Zelandiae ", Zahlbruckner records this species from M.t Technical, in Nelson, and Allan has so determined plants from Mt Trovatore and from Lead Hills, also in Nelson. The writer has recorded it from Awarua Bay, but these Southland plants differ from C. boryi and are here described as constituting a new species.

Cladonia southlandica spnov.

Type. New Zealand; lodged in herbarium of Botany Division D.5.1.R., Lincoln.

Description. Thallus primarius 1.5-2 mm longa, demum evanescens. Podexia crassiuscula, erecta, pallida, impellucida, esorediata, 12-40 mm longa, plus minusve cylindrica, scyphifera, prolifera, squamarum destituta aut rarissima parcissime basi squamulosa, simplicia vel irregulariter dichotome ramosa, ecorticata, axillis imperforatis aut interdum perforatis; stratum chondroideum bene evolutum, nee reticulatum, vulgo lateribus integris

vel raro perforates; scyphis imperforatis, sensim dilatatis, 3-6 mm latis, margine dentatis vel proliferis, interdum deformis vel obsoletis: proliferationibus numerosis, longis vel brevis. Apothecia parva, .2-.4mm diam, simplicia vel aggregata in apicibus ramulorum, fuscentia; spermagonia etiam in apicibus ramulorum sita, cylindrica; materiam hyalinam (?) continentia.

Primary thallus 1.5-2 mm long, soon evanescent. Podetia 1-I.smm at the base, widening upwards, subcylindric, ecorticate but not tomentose, surface uneven, usually imperforate but an occasional longitudinal foramen may occur. The axils are closed, branches are few, irregular, or absent, and the walls are esquamulose and esorediate. The L'hondroid layer is smooth and lacks the reticulate surface present in C. boryi. The habit too is distinct. The scyphi may be quite regular, oblique, deformed, or even absent; they are commonly proliferous from the margin and closed with a concave or funnel-shaped membrane. Apothecia and spermagonia are borne on the apices of the proliferations or their branches and are quite minute. All plants are K and P —, but KC + indicative of the presence of usnic acid.

Cladonia southlandica differs from C. boryi in the absence of the reticulate lining of the chondroid layer surrounding the central canal, in its smaller stature and almost constant presence of well-formed scyphi, in the fewer branches and distinct habit. The walls of the podetia, though of uneven thickness, are not conspicuously perforate or lacunose, but the exterior medullary layer is rather similar to that of C. boryi though less tuberculate. The terminal branchlets in both species are short, erect, and commonly fertile. Many plants have the goblet form of C. chlorophaea or C. major but arc constantly proliferate. Very short spinous branchlets Imm long sometimes are present.

Distribution. Amongst Leptospermum in open spaces on peaty soil at Awarua Bay, and other localities on the Southland Plains. It occurs also on peaty soils at the head of Paterson's Inlet in Stewart Island.

Subsection Gladinae

In a recent paper the writer reviewed the subsection Cladina of the genus Cladonia, indicating that four species were present in New Zealand—viz., Cladonia alpestris (or alpestroides ?)', C. leptoclada, C. impexa, and C. mitis. Not having seen C. alpestroides, I was unable to say which of these two allied species was indigenous to Mew Zealand. Prof. Teuvo Ahti, in a personal communication, agrees that our plant belongs to the Alpestrae, but thinks it distinct from either. C. alpestroides was named by Des Abbayes for plants met with in Madagascar, where C. leptoclada is also indigenous. Des Abbayes stated that one distinguishing feature was the white spermagonial jelly of C. alpestroides, that of

C. alpestris being red; but Ahti points out that the jelly is red in both species. Whether our plants are specifically distinct from either of these two species can be determined only by examination of ample suites of specimens such as are not available in New Zealand. The so-called var. portentosa is very probably no more than an ecad, as suggested by Ahti.

Further study of New Zealand material leads me to the conclusion that plants determined for me by Dr Alex. W. Evans as C. impexa differ from C. leptoclada in little more than colour, and that records of this species in New Zealand should be transferred to C. leptoclada, a species which in this country shows considerable colour variation from white to grey or to yellow. This will further reduce our Cladinae to three species. It has been suggested that our plants of the Alpestrae group might possibly come within the range of C. leptoclada, but field evidence and a study of the structure seem to exclude any such possibility.

C. mitis was first recorded from New Zealand by Sandstede, the author of the species. Though none of numerous subsequent gatherings exactly matches overseas material in my herbarium, there is little doubt .that our plants are correctly labelled. Ahti was at first inclined to place our plants as near to C. laevigata, but other material recently sent him has led him to confirm my determination as C. mitis. Recent gatherings include: Arthur's Pass (8259) ; Maungatua, Dunedin (T. 1332 and M. 8260) ; Cass (W. R. Philipson 8.23), (6796); Rotoiti, Nelson (8190); Rimutaka Mts (8195); near Taupo (K. W. Allison L. 236).

Subsection Clathrinae The writer is convinced that Carroll W. Dodge (1929-31) was correct in placing plants of this subsection in Nylander's genus Cladia. Nylander included in this genus Cladonia aggregata and C. retipora, the then known species of Clathrinae. To these C. sullivanii should be added. What was believed to be the primary thallus has been observed only in C. retipora, this being crustose or papillose in character. All plants belonging to Cladia have the chondroid layer external to the algal layer, and not lining the central canal as in Cladonia. The walls of the podetia have a very thin medulla and are conspicuously porose, save in some forms of C. aggregata, where perforations may be few. All lack soredia, squamules, isidia, and scyphi. The apothecia are minute, black, peltate, and clustered in small cymes.

Cladia aggregata is a very polymorphic and widely distributed species with at least a dozen named forms, several of doubtful validity, with numerous connecting forms. The species is predominantly K —, but some gatherings are K -J-. What appears to be a distinct but unnamed form is described below.

Cladia aggregata (Sev.) Nyl. f. fiordense forma nova

Type. New Zealand; lodged in herbarium of the Botany Division of the D.S.I.R. at Lincoln, Canterbury.

Description. Podetia adscandentia, robusta. rigida, superne pallida vel albidoviridia, ad basi spadicia vel testacea, ad nodis 3—4 mm lata, ad internodis ± 2mm lata, foraminibus paucis, apicibus bi- (raro ter-) furcatis, subulatis; ramulis I—lsmm longis, numerosis, sterilis.

This form has short stems (3-scm) and numerous branches, many little more than spines, while others may be l-3cm long. The podetia are light coloured above, dark or light brown below, wider at the nodes, ± ascending, forming open clusters; the tips of the stems are mainly bifid, ending in short, subulate spines. The foramamina vary from small to large and from oblong to circular, but are not numerous. The surface is dull, not nitidous. Fertile plants were not seen. K—, P—. It is allied to f. inflata F. Wilson from Australia.

Distribution. Secretary Island, Doubtful Sound, West Otago, amongst mosses and low shrubs at 1,000 metres in Gladonia Gut. Collected by the late Dr James Murray, February, 1959. Cladia sullivanii (Mull. Arg.) Martin comb. nov.

Syn. Cladonia sullivanii Mull. Arg. in Monogr. Glad. Univ. Vol. 1 (1887) p. 230. Nylander transferred Cladonia aggregata and C. retipora to a new genus Cladia. C. sullivanii is somewhat intermediate in form between these two species, and indeed was regarded by Vainio as a form of C. aggregata. It therefore becomes necessary to transfer Cladonia sullivanii to the genus Cladia.

Literature Ahti, Teuvo, 1961. Taxonomic Studies of Reindeer Lichens (Cladonia, Subgenus Cladina). Ann. Bot. Soc. Vanamo. Tome 32, No. 1.

des Abbayes, H., 1947. Cladoniae (Lichens) nouveaux de la region Malgache. Revue Bryol. et Lichenol. Tome xvi, fasc. 1-2, 74-94.

Dodge, Carroll, W., 1929-31. B.A.N.Z. Antarc. Exped. — Botan. Report. Martin, W., 1958. Cladoniae of New Zealand. Trans. Roy. Soc. N.Z. Vol. 85, 603-632. Vol. 88, Pt. 2, 169-175.

Vainio, E., 1894. Monographia Cladoniarum Universalis. Acta. Soc. pro Fauna et Flora, Fennica. Vol. 11. Zahlbruckner, A., 1941. Lichenes Novae Zelandiae a cl, H. H. Allan. Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. math-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 258.

William Martin, 27 Merchiston Street, Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin.