On dead leaves of Chionochloa sp. Fiordland, Secretary Island, 29.X1 1981, C. F. Butcher (PDD 41807) [Holotype].

Colonies amphigenous, but mainly on the adaxial leaf surface. Mycelium partly immersed and partly superficial, pale, branched, smooth, septate, 1.5-2 µm thick. Stroma absent. Conidiophores reduced to phialides, borne directly on the hyphae, macronematous, mononematous, single, unbranched, erect, straight, smooth, aseptate, brown up to 140 µm long. Conidiogenous cells phialidic, lageniform or ampulliform; venter ellipsoidal (13-)14-17 (-25) x (13-)15-21 µm; collarette cylindrical 65-115 x (5-)6(-6.5) µm; transition from venter to collarette abrupt; ratio of mean lengths of collarette and venter =6.1:1. Conidia endogenous, extruded singly or in short chains, cylindrical, apex rounded, base truncate with a marginal frill, hyaline, smooth, non-septate, (13-)14-17(-24) x 3.5-4.5 µm; mean conidium length/width ratio = 3.9:1.

Coloniae amphigenae, plerumque adaxiales. Mycelium partim intermum et extermum, ex hyphis pallidis, ramosis, laevibus, septatis, 1.5-2 µm crassis. Stroma nullum. Conidiophora ad phialides reducta, ex hyphis oriunda, macronematosa, mononematosa, singula, eramosa, erects, recta, laevia, eseptata, brunnea, usque ad 140 µm longa. Cellulae conidiogenae phialidicae, lageniformes vel ampulliformes, venterellipsoideus (13-)14-17 (-25) x (13-) 15-21 µm; collum cylindricum 65-115 x (5-) 6 (-6.5) µm; transitio e ventre ad collum abrupta; ratio longitudinis mediae colli et ventris = 6.1:1. Conidia endogena, singulariter vel catenulate extrusa, cylindrica, hyalina, laevia, eseptata, (13-)14-17(-24) x 3.5-4.5 µm, apice rotundato, basi truncata, fimbriam marginalem ferente; ratio conidii long/lat. = 3.9:1. In foliis mortuis graminis Chionochloa sp. Holotypus PDD 41807.

In New Zealand, Chalara is well represented, with approx. 30 species known, many of which were described from New Zealand collections (Nag Raj & Hughes 1974, Nag Raj & Kendrick 1975). Most species are saprophytic on decayed wood or on dead leaves, but some are the cause of plant diseases including wilts, rots, and decays.
Chalara graminicola is distinct from any known species of Chalara. The collarette is extremely long in relation to the length of the venter; only C. curvata Nag Raj & Kendrick with a ratio of 5.3:1 (Nag Raj & Kendrick 1975) approaches C. graminicola.