Colonies inconspicuous, effused, brown, with white layer of conidia. Mycelium superficial, brown, branched and anastomosing, sometimes forming sheets, smooth, septate, 1.5-2.5 µm thick. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, single, unbranched, erect, straight or slightly curved, smooth, 0-1 septate, sometimes reduced to phialide, borne directly on hyphae, pale, 30-50 µm long (including conidiogenous cell). Conidiogenous cells monophialidic, integrated, terminal, lageniform, 25-40 µm long; venter subcylindrical, (3-) 7-15 (-18) x (4-) 4.5-6 (-10) µm; collarette cylindrical, 20-30 (-36) x 2.5-3 (-3.5) µm; transition from venter to collarette gradual; ratio of mean lengths of collarette and venter = 2.5:1. Conidia endogenous, extruded in long chains, hyaline, cylindrical, smooth, medianly 1-septate, (15.5-) 18-20 (-22.5) x 2-2.5 µm, apex rounded, base truncate; mean conidium length/width ratio = 8.2:1.

On Dracophyllum arboreum Ckn.

Coloniae inconspicuae, effusae. Mycelium extermum, ex hyphis brunneis, ramosis, laevibus, septatis, 1.5-2.5 µm crassis. Conidiophora macronematosa, mononematosa, singula, eramosa, erecta, recta vel parum curvata, laevia, 0-1 septata, pallide, 30-50 µm longa. Cellulae conidiogenae monophialidicae, in conidiophoris incorporatae, terminales, lageniformes, 25-40 µm longae; venter subcylindricus (3-) 7-15 (-18) x (4-) 4.5-6 (-10) µm; collum cylindricum, 20-30 (-36) x 2.5-3 (-3.5) µm; transitio e ventre ad collum gradata; ratio longitudinis mediae colli et ventris = 2.5:1. Conidia endogena, catenulate extrusa, hyalina, cylindrica, laevia, 1-septata, (15.5-) 18-20 (-22.5) x 2-2.5 µm, apice rotundato, basi truncata; ratio conidii long./lat. = 8.2:1. In foliis dejectis epacridaceae speciei Dracophylli arborei Ckn. Holotypus PDD 52058.

The specific epithet refers to the southern hemisphere situation of the type locality.
Chalara australis resembles both C. hughesii Nag Raj & Kendrick in Nag Raj & Hughes (1974) and C. alabamensis MorganJones & Ingram (1976). However, C. australis has larger conidiophores and conidia than C. hughesii, and exhibits a gradual, rather than abrupt transition from venter to collarette. There is a gradual transition in C. alabamensis, but the conidia of this species are smaller than those of C. australis.

Specimen examined: New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Rekohu, Taiko Camp, 8.111.1983, E. H. C. McKenzie (PDD 52058 - holotype).