Physma chilense Hue
P. tricolor Zahlbr., Annls mycol. 6: 132 (1908).
Thallus foliose, lobate, spreading to 4 cm diam., corticolous. Lobes 2 mm wide, crowded, subimbricate, margins thickened, pectinate, incised, wavy, often white-pruinose. Upper surface yellowish, green-brown to plumbeous-blue, blue-black at margins and often with patches of white pruina, finely wrinkled in long, parallel striations, not reticulate or maculate, often very slightly tomentose, tomentum short, golden-brown. Lower surface pale, whitish or creamish to yellow-brown, tomentose, ecorticate, rhizinate. Rhizines pale, short, often tufted or in brownish vein-like structures. Apothecia sessile or subpedicellate, laminal, occasionally marginal, to 2 mm diam., disc bright red or red-brown, shining, epruinose, plane to subconvex, margins thick, crenate, roughened, dark bluish and often white-pruinose. Ascospores simple, colourless, 16-20 × 12-15 µm.
N: North Auckland (Radar Bush) to Wellington. S: Nelson (Lake Rotoiti to Maruia River). Lowland, coastal and inland in damp, humid habitats of moderate shade. A good indicator of humid habitats.
Austral
P. chilense is characterised by the bluish-grey thallus which is gelatinous when wet, and the bright red or red-brown apothecial disc with white-tomentose margins. It is mainly a twig species, though occasionally it will colonise bark.
