Flora of New Zealand Series

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 314). See also James & White (1987: 238–240) and White & James (1988: 137).

Chemistry : Hopane-7β, 22-diol, 7β-acetoxyhopane-22-ol (±) and ±ursolic acid. See also James & White (1987: 240–241) and White & James (1988: 139).

S: Nelson (Nelson Lakes National Park to Westport); Westland (Lake Brunner, Whataroa); Canterbury (Nina Valley, Boyle River, Hanmer, Hawdon River). In moderate to deep shade in humid habitats on bark of trees and shrubs. Still rather poorly collected in New Zealand. Often sympatric with N. rufum. Widespread though rare in the Northern Hemisphere, being recorded from Europe, Macaronesia, North America, Thailand (Wetmore 1960; James & White 1987; Goward et al. 1994b; Wetmore & Nash 2002; Wolseley et al. 2002; Nimis & Martellos 2003), and in Australia (White & James 1988; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Thomson (1984: 286); James & White (1987: 239, fig. 10); Goward (1994b: 86, fig. 7B).

Nephroma helveticum is characterised by: the corticolous habit; the presence of isidia-like outgrowths and phyllidia on margins and lamina; pectinate apothecial margins; scabrid dorsal surface of apothecium; and a chemistry dominated by hopane triterpenoids. Nephroma rufum (q.v.) is distinguished from N. helveticum by the presence of numerous, flattened phyllidia instead of a denticulate thalline margin, a glabrous lower surface, smaller spores and a different chemistry.