Hymenophore annual, firm and corky-woody, brittle, imbricate or solitary, attached by a narrow stem-like base which does not exceed 5 x 5 mm. Pileus fan-shaped or conchate, slightly concave, 2-5 cm. x 2-4 cm. x 1-2 mm.; surface at first orange or orange-rufous, when concentrically zoned with dark brown bands near the base, becoming tobacco-brown or black, radiately striate, fluted or not, glabrous, cuticle present, 100-200 μ thick, appearing black and shining in section, composed of parallel chestnut-brown hyphae firmly cemented together with interstices filled with mucilage, poorly developed in young plants when represented by brown or black zones; margin bluntly rounded, plane, toothed, crenate; hymenial surface at first orange-rufous, becoming reddish-brown or dark brick-red, even, fertile to the margin, dissepiments not toothed. Context 0.2-0.5 mm. thick, to 1 mm. at the base, orange-rufous and shining, of densely packed parallel radiately arranged hyphae; generative hyphae 5-7 μ thick, wall 0.5 μ, chestnut-brown, branched, septate. Pores angular, 0.5-2 mm. deep, 100-250 μ diameter, or 3-4 per mm.; dissepiments 100-150 μ thick, equal, apices delicately velutinate. Basidia clavate, 10-12 x 4-5 μ, soon collapsing. Spores globose or subglobose, 4.5-6 μ, smooth, hyaline.

New Zealand.

Lloyd described the species from a rather fragmentary collection taken from the under side of a log lying in a grass pasture. In these specimens the cuticle was poorly developed so that he did not observe the striking contrast typical specimens display between the dark brick-red hymenium, orange-rufous context and black surface of the pileus. The typical black colour of the cuticle does not develop fully until plants are ageing, since it is derived from a change in colour of the mucilage in which hyphae are embedded. In several collections at hand it is represented only by dark areas which have formed beneath the black or brown zones of the surface. Plants with poorly developed cuticle may be separated from C. laeta by their smaller size, thinner context and smaller pores.

Auckland. Titirangi, Waitakere Ranges, June 1946, Myra Carter.
Wellington. Weraroa, Oct. 1920, E.H.Atkinson; Butterfly Reserve, Aug. 1946, Greta B.Cone; Day’s Bay, May 1947, Joan Dingley.
Otago. Taieri Gorge, Dec. 1934, J.R.J.Moore

Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, solitary or caespitose, attached to the substratum by a lateral rarely excentric stem. Pileus fan-shaped conchate, or spathulate, 5-25 mm. x 10-20 mm. x 1-2 mm.; surface bay-brown, cinnamon, or chestnut-brown, becoming fuscous or black when old, radiate-striate with fine raised lines which are sometimes darker in colour, obscurely coned with bands of darker colour, or concolorous, silky when young, soon dull, cuticle wanting; margin acute, plane or slightly inturned, fimbriate, sometimes lacerate, undulate or even; hymenial surface even, at first fawn or bay-brown, becoming; ferruginous, finally umber, sterile margin 1-3 mm. wide, lighter in colour, dissepiments finely toothed; stem to 15 mm. long, 1-2 mm. thick, equal, solid, velvety, cinnamon, with a small bulbous base. Context chestnut-brown, 0.2-l mm. thick, of radiately arranged parallel hyphae; generative hyphae chestnut-brown, to 6 μ thick, wall 0.5 μ, branched, septate. Pores angular, ferruginous in section, 0.5-1 mm. deep, 100-200 μ diameter, or 3-5 per mm.; dissepiments 75-100 μ thick, equal, apex finely velutinate. Basidia clavate, 12-16 x 5-6 μ, persistent. Spores broadly elliptical, 6-8 x 4-5 μ, smooth, tinted yellow.

New Zealand.

Growing solitary or caespitose on clay soil in forest or scrub.

Characterized by the lateral (seldom excentric) stem, small dark-co1oured pores and radiate-striate dull pileus. The species is most closely related to C. cinnamomea, possessing a similar coloured finely radiate-striate pileus. It differs in the lateral stem, thinner walls of generative hyphae, smaller pores, and smaller spores. The habitat also is different, collections recorded having been taken from clay banks. Though lateral in most specimens, the stem is excentric in two or three, a condition which was seen in the fragmentary type at Kew.

Locality: New Zealand.

Auckland. Little Barrier Island, Oct. 1945, Joan Dingley, type collection; Same locality, Nov. 1947, M.Parkin; Oratia, 500 feet, Dec. 1930, M.Hodgkins.

Hymenophore annual or reviving a second season, solitary or caespitose, attached by a central stem. Pileus orbicular, convex, not umbilicate, 1-5 cm. diameter, 2-5 mm. thick; surface at first fawn, becoming chestnut-brown, not or vaguely zoned, strigose with coarse vertical hairs in the centre, hairs radiately arranged peripherally, cuticle wanting; margin usually bluntly rounded, plane, entire; hymenial surface decurrent, chestnut-brown or cinnamon, sterile margin lighter in colour, 1-5 mm. wide, dissepiments not toothed; stem to 2 cm. long, 3-6 mm. thick, solid, cinnamon, coarsely or finely tomentose, usually fused at the base to a common mycelial mass. Context 2-3 mm. thick, cinnamon, of parallel hyphae radiately arranged; generative hyphae 5-7 μ thick, wall 0.5 μ, chestnut-brown, branched, septate. Pores angular, 0.2-0.5 mm. deep, ferruginous in section, 150-400 μ diameter, or 2-3 per mm.; dissepiments 75-200 μ thick, equal, apices slightly inflated, delicately velutinate. Basidia clavate, 12-16 x 5-6 μ, persistent. Spores subglobose, globose or slightly obovate, 5-7 x 5-6 μ, commonly 6 x 5 μ, smooth, tinted yellow.

New Zealand.

Growing solitary or usually caespitose on rich humus on the floor of forest or scrubland..

Hymenophorum annuum, caule centrale. Pileus orbicularis, convexus, 1-5 cm. diam., 2-5 mm. crassus; superficies hinnulea, demum castanea, haud velambigue zonata, centro pilis crassus, strigosis, verticalibus, induta, perimetro radiatim posita; cuticula absens; superficies hymenialis decurrens, castanea, vel cinnamomea; caulis 1-2 cm. longus, 3-6 mm. crassus, solidus, cinnamomeus, tomentosus; hyphae generationae 5-7 μ crassae, brachiatae,septatae, hyphis fibulatis nullis. Pori angulati, 2-3 per mm. Sporae subglobosae, globosae, vel aliquantulum obovatae, 5-7 x 5-6 μ, leves, flavo-tinctae.

Separated from other species listed by the stout pileus with coarsely strigose surface, shallow pores and subglobose spores. It differs from obese forms of C.montagnei (Fr.) Murr. by the coarse strigose hairs of the pileus and smaller subglobose spores. A second crop of pilei had developed on the Oratia collection, suggesting that the species may survive a second season.