Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Peltigera australis (A.Rich.) Mont., Annls Sci. nat. Bot., sér. 2, 4: 86 (1835).

≡Opisteria australis (A.Rich.) Vain., Ark. Bot. 8 (4): 93 (1909).

=Nephroma resupinatum var. pruinosum Mont. in M.J. Dumont d'Urville, Voy. Pole Sud, Bot. 1: 192 (1845).

≡Nephroma pruinosum (Mont.) Zahlbr., Cat. lich. univ. 3 (4): 426 (1925).

=Nephroma schizocarpum Nyl., Syn. meth. lich. 1 (2): 318 (1860).

≡Opisteria schizocarpa (Nyl.) Vain., Ark. Bot. 8 (4): 93 (1909).

=Nephroma homalodes Nyl., Lich. Nov. Zel.: 43 (1888).

≡Opisteria homalodes (Nyl.) Vain., Ark. Bot. 8 (4): 93 (1909).

≡Nephroma australe f. homalodes (Nyl.) Js.Murray, Trans. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 88: 383 (1960).

=Nephroma zelandicum Gyeln., Borbásia 1: 4 (1938).

=Nephroma zelandicum f. squamaecolum Gyeln., Borbásia 1: 5 (1938).

=Nephroma australe var. rigidum Js.Murray, Trans. Roy. Soc. N. Z. 88: 384 (1960).

Nephroma australe. Type: New Zealand. Havre de l'Astrolabe, ? d'Urville, ? Lesson – not traced.

Nephroma resupinatum var. pruinosum. Holotype: New Zealand. Banks Peninsula, Hombron – H-NYL 32927.

Nephroma schizocarpum. Holotype: New Zealand. Banks Peninsula, Hombron – H-NYL 32927.

Nephroma homalodes. Holotype: New Zealand. Sine loco [probably Wellington], 1882, C. Knight s.n. – H-NYL 32922.

Nephroma zelandicum. Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Otago, Otakou Bush, near Dunedin, on trunk of Melicytus ramiflorus, vii.1933, J.S. ThomsonT169, 580 [G5] – BP. Isotypes – CHR, OTA, S, W.

Nephroma zelandicum f. squamaecolum. Holotype: New Zealand. South I., Otago, Green Island near Dunedin, on bark of tree, vii.1933, J.S. ThomsonT170 [G4] – BP. Isotypes – CHR, OTA, W.

Nephroma australe f. rigidum. Lectotype: New Zealand. Westland, Kokatahi River, on rocks in forest, xii.1957, D. Scott 142 – OTA [fide White & James (1988: 124)]. Isolectotypes – BM, OTA.

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 313). See also White & James (1988: 124).

Chemistry : Hopane-6α, 22-diol (zeorin) and usnic acid and either hypostictic and hyposalazinic acids, or a series of unidentified triterpenoids. There appear to be two chemodemes in this species (White & James 1988: 126–127).

N: South Auckland (Hunua Ra.) to Wellington – apparently not further north than Auckland. S: Nelson to Southland both E and W of the Main Divide. St: Ch: Widespread, lowland, in humid places mainly on bark and twigs, also on damp rocks among mosses. Also in south-east Australia and Tasmania, Juan Fernandez, southern Chile and Argentina (White & James 1988; Kantvilas 1990c; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Austral

Exsiccati : Elix (1985: No. 86); Vězda (1996a: No. 224; 1997e: No. 304).

Illustrations : Martin & Child (1972: 114, pl. 26); White & James (1988: 125, fig. 5A); Malcolm & Malcolm (1989: 117); Australasian Lichenology 41 (1997: front cover – painting by W.M. Malcolm); Malcolm & Galloway (1997: 27, 101, 179); Malcolm & Malcolm (2000: 80, 91); McCarthy & Malcolm (2004: cover and p. 54)

Nephroma australe is a common epiphyte of bark or twigs in humid, undisturbed habitats. It varies considerably in form from large, broad-lobed specimens from on moss, or rocks or on tree trunks, to small-lobed individuals with marginal lobules or squamules, growing on twigs. Thalli may also be horizontal and closely appressed or else have ascending lobes. Other differences include thallus colour, the extent of lobation or splitting of the apothecium (as in N. schizocarpum), and a wide range of variation in spore size and hymenium height. However, all of these differences fall within the accepted range of variation for the species (White & James 1988) and are of no taxonomic significance.