Anzia entingiana

The thallus is bark-dwelling, adnate to loosely attached, forming small, circular to spreading patches about 2–5 cm across. Lobes are linear, separate to crowded and dichotomously to subdichotomously branched, 0.4–1.2 mm wide. The upper surface is pale grey to pale grey-green (often whitish at the margins), convex and smooth, conspicuously spotted (maculate and often with faint transverse cracking. Isidia are present and vary from sparse to dense; they are cylindrical, simple at first and later branched to form small coralloid clusters. The medulla is white and shows a chondroid axis of parallel, longitudinal hyphae in the centre of the lobes.^[1]

The lower surface bears a continuous spongiostratum that commonly projects slightly beyond the lobe edges; it is solid, dark brown to black and is attached uniformly to the lower medullary hyphae or chondroid strand. Rhizines are scattered, simple or tufted. Apothecia and pycnidia were not seen. Standard chemical spot tests yield the following reactions: cortex K+ (yellow); medulla K–, C–, P+ (orange-red). Identified substances include atranorin and chloroatranorin (minor) in the cortex and protocetraric acid (major) with trace virensic acid in the medulla.^[1]

Anzia entingiana is a corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen. The type was collected at low elevation near Swanson (Waitemata, North Island) on kauri, and additional specimens are from northern parts of the North Island (e.g., Kaitaia, Radar Bush, Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park and Te Paki).^[1] It has also been recorded from surveys at Waimamaku and Hokianga.^[2][3]