A trio of endemic New Zealand lichens: Pannaria aotearoana and P. gallowayi, new species with a new chemosyndrome, and their relationship with P. xanthomelana

Abstract

The endemic New Zealand lichen Pannaria xanthomelana has been restudied and found to be characterized by a secondary chemistry of pannarin and porphyrilic acid in addition to terpenoids, and by always having abundant, conspicuously large, and mostly foliose cephalodia. Its verruciform pycnidia and bacilliform pycnoconidia/spermatia are described here for the first time. Two other related New Zealand endemics, P. gallowayi and P. aotearoana, are described as new. Both have small, relatively rare and inconspicuous cephalodia. They contain a new chemosyndrome, with pannarin, contortin and O-methyl-leprolomin together with major quantities of several unidentified terpenoids, previously reported from the related Australian species, P. isidiata . O-methyl-leprolomin is a novel compound, with similar TLC properties to leprolomin, but with different Rf values. Most collections of both species from the North and the South Islands of New Zealand contain additional porphyrilic acid. However, this compound is absent from many collections of these species from the subantarctic Campbell and Auckland Islands. Aside from chemistry, Pannaria gallowayi is also distinguished by having broad, papery lobes. Pannaria aotearoana which appears to be the more common species, has a thick thallus and characteristic thick, convex, marginal phyllidia, larger spermatia and more conspicuous pycnidia than P. gallowayi and P. xanthomelana. The three species share two different major chlorobionts. Trebouxia dominates in the north, and is gradually replaced southwards by a type provisionally called cf. Myrmecia . Show more