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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
     
     
Usnea bismolliuscula Zahlbr.
     
  Cat. Lich. Univ. 6: 542 (1930); Usnea molliuscula Vain., Bot. Mag. (Tokyo)35: 45 (1921), nom. illeg., non U. molliuscula Stirt., Scott. Naturalist (Perth) 7: 77 (1883). T: Prov. Harima, Japan, 1916, A.Yasuda s.n.; holo: TUR-V.  
     
  Thallus subpendulous to shrubby-erect, 8–12 cm long, pale yellow-green; branching subdichotomous, irregular; trunk absent, with branches arising from the base; branches terete, 0.7–1.0 mm wide, inflated, sparsely perforate in basal region; apices tapered, sometimes forked; branchlets fusiform; fibrils rare, confined to basal region; papillae small, pointed. Isidia numerous, but often eroding to leave round to elongate pseudocyphellae; pseudocyphellae numerous, mainly on secondary branches, largest on branchlets and apices; soralia absent. Cortex matt, thin, soft. Medulla lax, sparse; axis 1/4 width of branch, hyaline. Apothecia uncommon, lateral or subterminal, to 5 mm diam.; disc concave to plane; fibrils sparse on margin; lower surface smooth. Ascospores 6.5–8.0 × 5 µm. CHEMISTRY: Cortex containing usnic acid. Medulla K+ yellow: stictic acid (major), constictic acid (minor or trace), cryptostictic acid (trace), menegazziaic acid (trace), ±diffractaic acid (minor), norstictic acid (trace), connorstictic acid (trace) and accessory scabrosin 4-acetate-4’-butyrate, scabrosin 4-acetate-4’-hexanoate, scabrosin 4,4’-dibutyrate, scabrosin 4,4’-diacetate, or rarely protocetraric acid only; medulla K+ yellow → red (rare): salazinic acid (major) and norstictic acid (major). This species produces diffractaic acid in the tropics.
     
  Found from north-eastern Qld to north-eastern N.S.W.; occurs from sea level (mangroves) to rainforest, open forest and on fence posts at elevations above 1000 m. Also in Japan, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.  
     
   
     
     
  Stevens (2004)  

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