Flora of New Zealand Series

Stereocaulon arbuscula Nyl., Syn. Meth. Lich. 1: 253 (1860).

Pseudopodetia in small, scattered groups or tufts, profusely dendroid-branched, distinctly dorsiventral, normally attached by a holdfast, or dying at base and then ± decumbent, flattened, branching dichotomous in one plane, soft and fragile, 1-2 cm tall and 0.4 mm thick towards base, upper branches much finer, to 0.15 mm thick, whitish, glaucous greyish-white or pale glaucous green, matt, tomentose or velvety, main branches glabrous, terminal branchlets very fine, coralloid. Phyllocladial granules on terminal branchlets, scarce to absent on ventral side, crowded, minute (to 0.1 mm diam.), softly pulverulent, often dissolving into smaller granules. Photobiont in irregular groups on surface of pseudopodetia and in powdery granules, loosely enveloped with hyphae. Chemistry: Two chemodemes are known, (i) Atranorin, protocetraric, grayanic and didymic acids and two unidentified compounds. (ii) Atranorin, protocetraric and physodalic acids. Several acid-deficient phases also occur in each chemodeme.

N: North Auckland, north of Auckland. In coastal, lowland forest. In damp, shaded, humid habitats, easily overlooked. Occasionally also on rock in these habitats, most often among mosses.

Western Pacific