Flora of New Zealand Series

Holotype: New Zealand. Marlborough, 9.5 km NW of Kaikoura, Mt Fyffe State Forest, 4 km SW of the summit of Mt Fyffe, 42º21's, 173º35'E, 250 m, on decorticated stump in shady situation in mixed hardwood-podocarp bush remnant, 6.ii.1981, L. Tibell 10787b – UPS.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 87–88); Tibell (1987: 93).

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd−; containing no secondary compounds. Yellow pruina consists of K− granular crystals, while the reddish brown pruina dissolves in K and produces plate- to feather-like, violet-red crystals (Tibell 1987).

N: South Auckland, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington. S: Marlborough (Branch River). On lignum of beech and podocarps. Rather rare on old decorticated stumps in shaded, humid sites, s.l. to 1190 m. Known also from Papua New Guinea and Queensland (Tibell 1987: 95).

Australasian

Illustrations : Tibell (1983: 132, fig. 1; 1987: 94, fig. 61).

Chaenotheca degelii is characterised by: its small size, and the yellowish to reddish brown pruina on the lower side of the exciple. It differs from C. citriocephala in having spherical, small spores and catenulate asci.