''Degelia neozelandica'' is a species of foliose

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Degelia ''Degelia'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Pannariaceae. The genus is named after Swedish lichenologist Gunnar Degelius. The genus was circumscribed by Lars Arvidsson and David John Galloway in 1981. Species *''Degelia calc ...

''. The species was initially described under ''

Steinera ''Steinera'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Koerberiaceae. It was circumscribed in 1906 by Austrian-Hungarian botanist Alexander Zahlbruckner, who dedicated the genus name to his friend Julius Steiner, an Austrian teacher and li ...

'', but was removed in 1982 when the genus was revised by

Aino Henssen Aino Marjatta Henssen (12 April 1925, Elberfeld – 29 August 2011, Marburg), was a German lichenologist and systematist. Her father, Gottfried Henssen, was a folklorist and her mother was Finns, Finnish. Education and career Henssen began her stu ...

and

Peter Wilfred James Peter Wilfred James (1930–2014) was an English botanist and lichenologist. He was a pioneer in the study of lichens as environmental indicators, especially of atmospheric pollution. Early life and education Peter W. James grew up in Sutton Co ...

. It was then placed into ''

Parmeliella ''Parmeliella'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Pannariaceae The Pannariaceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales (suborder Collematineae). Species from this family have a widespread distribution, but are especial ...

'', and later into ''Degelia''.

Distribution and habitat

''Degelia neozelandica'' is most widely found in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, on both

Macquarie Macquarie may refer to: People * Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of the British colony of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. * Elizabeth Macquarie Campbell, Lachlan Macquarie's second wife Locations * Division of Macquarie, an electoral district in th ...

and

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

s, but has also been found in a single alpine locality in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It grows on fine sandy soil in subalpine and

alpine grasslands Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

in altitudes of between .

Associated species

''Degelia neozelandica'' has several associated species with which it is often found. These include '' Parmeliella crassa'', '' Pannaria hookeri'', '' Solorina spongiosa'', '' Collema coccophorum'', '' Lecanora atra'', '' Pertusaria dactylina'', '' Psoroma buchanani'', and '' Psoroma fruticulosum''.

References

Peltigerales Lichen species Lichens of New Zealand Taxa named by Carroll William Dodge Lichens described in 1971 {{Peltigerales-stub