Porpidia albocaerulescens (Wulf.) Hertel & Knoph var. polycarpiza (Vain.) Rambold & Hertel, 1989

Kalb, Klaus, Buaruang, Kawinnat, Mongkolsuk, Pachara & Boonpragob, Kansri, 2012, New or otherwise interesting Lichens. VI, including a lichenicolous fungus, Phytotaxa 42, pp. 35-47 : 45

Porpidia albocaerulescens (Wulf.) Hertel & Knoph var. polycarpiza (Vain.) Rambold & Hertel

Porpidia albocaerulescens is characterized by a whitish grey thallus and immersed apothecia with whitepruinose discs. The norstictic acid containing chemotype has a center of distribution in the subtropical and tropical regions of South-East Asia. It has been reported from the southern Mediterranean region, eastern North America, the tropical parts of eastern Australia ( Rambold 1989), the Philippines, India, China, Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia ( Hertel 1977). Therefore the finding in Thailand is not surprising. It is a further addition to the Thai lichen biota.

Specimen examined:— THAILAND. Chiang Mai Province: Lumphun, Mae On, ESE of Chiang Mai; descent from Doi Mon Larn to Mae Kam Pong village, on a low arenite boulder in an evergreen mountain forest dominated by Lithocarpus, Quercus and Castanopsis , ca. 1500 m. 18°51’22’’ N, 99°22’02’’ E, 19 March 2008, K. Kalb, K. Buaruang & W. Saipunkaew (hb. Kalb, 36889, dupl. RAMK). Chemistry: norstictic acid (major) and connorstictic acid (minor).