shields the clean air montane tree bark

Size
Width: 5–15 cm
Lifespan
10–50 years
Diet
Photosynthetic symbiosis. Requires clean air, stable bark surfaces, and high humidity in damp, shaded forests.
Habitat
Grows on bark of trees, rocks, and fence posts in open, sunny locations. Found from sea level to the montane zone where air is clean.
Range
Found throughout the North and South Islands on bark of trees, rocks, and wood. Most common in beech forests and western ranges.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
None significant. This species is common in damp, undisturbed forests. Localised threats include forest clearance, air pollution, and climate change.
Population
Not Threatened. This is a common and widespread lichen in New Zealand, particularly in the North Island and northern South Island.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
foliose lichen, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Native lichen; not assessed by NZTCS as lichens are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
No recorded Māori name distinguishes the velvet shield lichen from other lichens. Lichens were generally called pūkohu (mosses and lichens) or pukorokoro (crustose lichens). The soft, velvety texture would have been noticed. It looked like the skin of a bird, like the fur of an animal, but no distinct name survives. The velvet shield lichen was sometimes used as a dressing for wounds. The soft, cushiony lobes were applied to cuts and burns to stop bleeding and promote healing.
It looks like it is wearing a coat. Hypogymnia physodes has a body that is leafy and grey. Pale grey to bluish-grey. Sometimes with a hint of green. The lobes are narrow and rounded. Often overlapping like the fingers of a hand. But the lobes are not flat like other shield lichens. They are inflated. Hollow and puffed up. Like tiny balloons or the fingers of a glove. The surface is soft and velvety. With a muted, smoky tone. It is the lichen of the soft touch. The one that feels as good as it looks. The one that makes you want to stroke it. What makes it special is the texture. The velvet shield lichen is one of the softest lichens in New Zealand. Its lobes are hollow and inflated. Filled with air like a cushion. The surface is covered in a fine, velvety fuzz. A layer of tiny hairs gives it a soft, muted appearance. When you touch it, it feels like velvet. Like felt. Like a soft fabric. It is the lichen of the caress. The one you want to stroke. The one that makes you forget you are touching a fungus. The lobes are narrow and often branching. Forming dense, spreading mats on the bark. The tips of the lobes are often blackened or dark. A distinctive feature of the species. The underside is black and wrinkled. With a sparse mat of rhizines. Tiny, root-like structures that anchor it to the bark. Under a hand lens, the velvety surface is visible. A dense mat of tiny hairs. Biologically, the velvet shield lichen is a partnership. A fungus and an alga living together. The fungus provides structure and protection. The alga provides food through photosynthesis. The inflated lobes are an adaptation to dry conditions. Allowing the lichen to store moisture. Survive in exposed, sunny locations. To find velvet shield lichen is to find the soft grey patch on the bark. It is leafy, puffed, and velvety. A living cushion on the tree. You can run your finger over the surface. Feel the softness. The velvet texture. It is the lichen of the soft touch. The one that feels as good as it looks. The one that proves that even lichens can be luxurious. No recorded Māori name distinguishes the velvet shield lichen from other lichens. Lichens were generally called pūkohu or pukorokoro. The soft, velvety texture would have been noticed. It looked like the skin of a bird. Like the fur of an animal. No distinct name survives. The velvet shield lichen was sometimes used as a dressing for wounds. The soft, cushiony lobes were applied to cuts and burns. To stop bleeding and promote healing.