Siphula fragilis
≡Endocarpon fragile Hook.f. & Taylor, Lond. J. Bot. 3: 639 (1844).
≡Sticta fragilis (Hook.f. & Taylor) Müll.Arg., Flora 81: 114 (1895).
Description : Flora (1985: 525).
Chemistry : TLC−, all reactions negative.
N: South Auckland (Coromandel Ra.) to Wellington (Ruapehu, Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Ngakawau, Mt Augustus above Stockton Plateau, Denniston Plateau), Marlborough (Mt Richmond), Westland (Mariner's Peak Moeraki River, Robinson's Creek Mataketake Ra.), Canterbury (Arthur's Pass, Beetham Valley, Malte Brun Ra., Mt Peel), Otago (Mt Brewster Haast Pass, Mt Birman Blue River, Forgotten River, Park Pass, Sugarloaf Saddle, Harris Saddle), Southland (Mt Clerke, Resolution I., above Cascade Cove Dusky Sound, Lake Wapiti). St: (Mt Anglem, Glory Cove Paterson Inlet, Rakeahua, Tin Ra., Deceit Peaks, Frazer Peaks, Port Pegasus). On damp alpine soils, often among mats of Andreaea in rock crevices frequently inundated by running water – commonly associated with other species of Siphula such as S. complanata, S. dissoluta, S. elixii and S. foliacea. Also in Tasmania (Bratt 1972, 1976b; Kantvilas 1994a, 1996c, 2002a; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Australasian
Exsiccati : Weber (1969: No. 265); Vězda (1997e: No. 307).
Illustrations : Malcolm & Galloway (1977: 109, 154); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 13, 83).
Siphula fragilis is characterised by: the terricolous habit; the broad, thin, fragile lobes that are suffused reddish pink and with a uniformly smooth surface; and no secondary chemistry. The current name for this taxon is Parasiphula fragilis (Hook.f. & Taylor) Kantvilas & Grube & Kantvilas 2006: 246).
