the netted foliose lichen of NZ's beech forest bark
- Size
- Width: 5–20 cm
- Lifespan
- 20–100 years
- Diet
- Grows on bark of old trees, mossy rocks, and rotting logs in damp, undisturbed forests. Requires clean air, stable bark surfaces, and high humidity. Tolerates shade and moisture but cannot survive prolonged drought.
- Habitat
- Grows on the bark of old trees, on mossy rocks, and on rotting logs in damp, undisturbed forests throughout New Zealand. A creature of the deep bush, the wet gully, the places where the moss hangs thick and the air is heavy with moisture. Found from sea level to the montane zone, particularly in humid, sheltered locations where the forest has been standing for centuries. The lichen of the soft surface, the one that looks hand-stitched.
- Range
- Found in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. Most common in damp, undisturbed forests with high rainfall and clean air. Endemic to New Zealand. Forms large, leafy, pale greyish-green to brownish lobes with a distinctive network of raised veins on the upper surface.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- None significant. This species is common and widespread in damp, undisturbed forests. Localised threats include forest clearance, air pollution, and climate change reducing forest floor humidity.
- Population
- Not Threatened. The netted lichen is common in damp, undisturbed forests throughout New Zealand, particularly in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. It is endemic to New Zealand, found nowhere else in the world.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
The one that looks like it has been sewn by hand has a body that is large, leafy, and soft, pale greyish-green to brownish-green when dry, bright green when wet. The lobes are broad and rounded, spreading across the bark or rock like a crumpled piece of silk. The surface is covered in a network of raised, branching veins that form a pattern like a net or a leaf. It is the lichen of the hand-stitched surface, the one that looks like it was made by a seamstress, the one that makes the tree trunk look like a piece of embroidery.
What makes it special is the veins. The netted lichen is one of the most beautiful lichens in New Zealand. Its surface is a landscape of raised, pale veins that branch and re-branch across the dark green background. The veins are most visible when the lichen is wet, standing out like white threads against the green. The pattern is unique to each patch, like a fingerprint or a snowflake. It is the lichen of the intricate pattern, the one that rewards a close look, the one that proves that nature is the greatest artist.
The netted lichen is a cyanolichen, it contains cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in addition to green algae. The cyanobacteria give the lichen a darker, more olive colour and the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. The netted lichen is a natural fertiliser, adding nitrogen to the forest canopy. It is the lichen of the hidden work, the one that feeds the trees without anyone noticing.
Biologically, the netted lichen is a partnership, a fungus, a green alga, and a cyanobacterium living together. The fungus provides structure and protection. The green alga provides food through photosynthesis. The cyanobacterium provides nitrogen through fixation. It is a three-way partnership, a tiny ecosystem on the bark of an old tree.
To find netted lichen is to find the veined patch on the old tree. It is soft, leafy, and netted, a living piece of embroidery on the bark. You can trace the veins with your finger, feel the pattern, the raised threads. It is the lichen of the hand-stitched surface, the one that looks like it was made by a seamstress, the one that proves that the forest is full of art.