Department of the Environment and Water Resources home page

About us | Contact us | Publications | What's new

Header imagesHeader imagesHeader images

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
     
     
Umbilicaria polyphylla (L.) Baumg.
     
 

Fl. Lips. 571 (1790)

Lichen polyphyllus L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1150 (1753).

T: the illustration in Dillenius, Hist. Musc. tab. 30, fig. 129 (1768); lecto: LINN 1273: 208 n.v., fide J.Wei & Y.Jiang, Mycosyst. Monogr. 1: 156 (1993).

 
     
  Thallus 2–6 cm wide, usually polyphyllous, thin, crisp, irregular in shape; lobes rounded and overlapping or rather elongate and strap-like, ragged, richly divided and tangled, occasionally lobulate; umbo not prominent; margins ascending or deflexed, occasionally fenestrate, frequently sinuous-incised, becoming irregularly lacerate or developing complex-branched laciniae. Upper surface smooth to weakly puckered, dull to glossy, olive-brown to dark brown or blackish. Isidia and soredia absent. Lower surface brown-black or black, smooth, ±bullate, ±evenly covered with a fine layer of black soot-like thalloconidia; umbilicus small, rarely divided; rhizinomorphs absent. Thalloconidia single-celled and (5–) 7.5 (–12) µm, or in irregular clusters 10.0–22.5 (–25.0) µm wide. Apothecia rare, scattered, mostly peripheral, sessile, irregular; disc black, convex, with few thin gyrae. Ascospores not seen in Australian material; Hestmark (2004) reported them to be simple, hyaline, 10–15 × 6–8 µm. Pycnidia uncommon, immersed, visible as minute black dots on the upper surface. Conidia bacilliform, 3–5 × 0.6 µm.
CHEMISTRY: Medulla K–, C+ red, KC+ red, P–; containing umbilicaric acid (major), gyrophoric acid (major or minor), lecanoric acid (minor or trace), 2-O-methylhiascic acid (trace).
     
  Occurs in W.A., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic. and Tas.; grows on exposed and sheltered sandstone and quartzite rocks in dry-sclerophyll forest with large granite boulders, or in more open vegetation on moderate slopes or along ridges. Also in North America, Europe and New Zealand.  
     
   
     
     
  Louwhoff (2009c)  

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

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Australian Biological Resources Study. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed in the first instance to Dr P. McCarthy. These pages may not be displayed on, or downloaded to, any other server without the express permission of ABRS.


Top | About us | Advanced search | Contact us | Information services | Publications | Site index | What's new