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Australian Biological Resources Study

 
 
Checklist of the Lichens of Australia and its Island Territories
     
Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References
     
     
Peltigera polydactylon (Neck.) Hoffm.
     
 

Descr. Pl. Cl. Crypt. 1: 19 (1790)

Lichen polydactylon Neck., Meth. Musc. 85 (1771).

T: Untersontheim, Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Kemmler (Rabenhorst, Lich. Eur. 559); neo: H n.v., fide O.Vitikainen, Acta Bot. Fenn. 152: 69 (1994); isoneo: BM, BR, O, S, UPS n.v.

 
     
  Thallus orbicular to irregularly spreading, 2–8 (–15) cm wide. Lobes irregular, ±linear-laciniate, ±discrete at the apices, crowded centrally, (1.0–) 1.5–3.0 (–4.0) cm long, 4–15 (–20) mm wide; margins undulate and ±ascending, slightly thickened below, often lacerate-incised to ±phyllidiate, with or without small brownish apothecial initials. Upper surface glabrous, dark lead-grey to blue-black when wet, pale blue-grey to somewhat brownish or olive-brown, or chestnut-coloured to dark red-brown when dry, ±minutely maculate towards the apices (×10 lens), matt to glossy, undulate, wrinkled, dimpled or ±bullate in parts, often irregularly longitudinally or laterally cracked, with small dark-tipped phyllidia occasionally regenerating from the margins of cracks. Lower surface pale or whitish at the margins to buff or dark brown centrally. Veins rather flattened to slightly raised, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, pale buff to dark brown at the margins, brown-black to black centrally, confluent to ±continuous at the margins, with or without white tomentum, soon anastomosing; interstices scarce to frequent, oval to rounded or somewhat irregularly elongate, occasionally ±fibrous, white. Rhizines simple to fasciculate, ±tomentose or not, pale buff to dark brown or blackened, in rows, or brush-like and with ±confluent bases near the lobe apices, more widely scattered centrally, rather short, 2–4 (–5) mm long. Apothecia erect, rounded to saddle-shaped, 2–5 mm diam., or to 7 mm long, on ±involute marginal stalks; underside ±scabrid-areolate; disc pale to dark red-brown, epruinose; margin thin, crenate, pale buff. Ascospores acicular, 3–5 (–7)-septate, (48–) 50–60 (–64) × (2.0–) 2.5–4.0 µm, hyaline.
CHEMISTRY: Tenuiorin, methyl gyrophorate, dolicorrhizin (major or minor), zeorin (major or minor), ±peltidactylin (major or minor), ±traces of hopane-6α,7β,22–triol, hopane-7β,22–diol and hopane-15α,22–diol. Holtan-Hartwig (1993) and Vitikainen (1994) reported additional gyrophoric acid, Pnp-1 (unidentified minor triterpenoid) and “unidentified 41”.
     
  Occurs in all States and Territories except the N.T.; grows in moderate shade to high-light habitats and is found on a variety of substrata on the forest floor (soil, tree fern bases, grass and forest litter, rotting wood, on and among mosses, mossy sandstone rocks), roadside embankments, in subalpine bogs, heath and scrub, dry or wet forest or woodland, from sea level to 1800 m. Cosmopolitan and widespread in the Northern Hemisphere; also in South America and New Zealand.  
     
   
     
     
  Louwhoff (2009b)  

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Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References
 
 
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