Flora of New Zealand Series

C. flaccidum var. γ caerulescens Church. Bab., Fl. N.Z. 2: 309 (1855).

Lectotype (fide Degelius 1974, p. 135): New Zealand, Sine loco. Charles Knight, BM.

Thallus rather small to large, 1-8 cm diam., foliose, membranous (rather firm), ± thin, rounded or somewhat irregular in shape, adnate or partly ascending, ± deeply (or shallowly) and broadly lobate, sometimes nearly undivided, smooth or sparsely ridged and folded, normally without isidia, pale olive-green, sometimes darker olive-green or bluish, lower surface often greyish or bluish, matt or slightly glossy, lobes and lobules few, rounded or somewhat extended, ± imbricate often somewhat undulate, margin ± entire, flat, or bent a little upwards or downwards, never swollen. Isidia rare and when present generally sparse, marginal or laminal, ± squamiform. Apothecia numerous, often dense and crowded, laminal, sessile, constricted at base, 0.7-1.5 mm diam., rarely to 2.5 mm, disc plane, convex with age, pale to dark red, matt or subnitid, epruinose, thalline margin in mature fruits thin to moderately thick, entire, smooth or slightly uneven, usually not prominent, persistent to ± disappearing, proper margin sometimes occurring. Ascospores 4-8 per ascus, monostichous or distichous or monodistichous (rarely tristichous), ± imbricate, broadly fusiform to ellipsoid, straight (rarely somewhat curved), with acute ends, or seldom more rounded ends, submuriform at maturity or eumuriform (3-5 transverse septa and 1-2, rarely 3, longitudinal septa) sometimes constricted at septa (16-)20-40(-43) × (6.5-)8-10.5(-15) µm. Pycnidia common, ± numerous and often dense, laminal, immersed, globose, 170-200 µm diam., visible as small dots on both sides of thallus.

N: Manawatu to Wellington. S: Nelson (Riwaka River), to Southland (Milford Sound and Rowallan Burn). A: C: Both east and west coast. Mainly corticolous (very rarely saxicolous on limestone) on trees and shrubs in open or shady situations from both coastal and inland habitats, predominantly a lowland species, s.l. to 400 m.

Western Pacific