Fruit bodies up to 28 x 2 mm, simple clubs or branched once or twice, and then within a few mm of the apex, cream ("cartridge-buff", "ivory-yellow") all over, gregarious to cespitose in small clusters, arising from small patches of white mycelium, terete; axils (when present) acute; apices acerose; drycolours: stipe tan to pallid orange, hymenium tan to alutaceous.

Tramal hyphae of club up to 7 gm dram., hyaline, uninflated, clamped, tightly packed, parallel. Hymenium thickening; basidia 65-75 x 8 gm, subcylindrical, clamped; contents opalescent; sterigmata 2, cornute. Cystidia (Fig. 43) 70-100x8-9 gym, cylindrical, aseptate or rarely 1-septate (and then septum clamped), clamped, refringent and orange¬ochre in distal portion under phase contrast.

Spores (Fig. 44) 8.3-9.4 x 6.8-8.3 gm (E =1.05-1.30; E'^ =1.18; L'° = 8.88 gm), subglobose to broadly ovate, thin¬walled; contents opalescent; hilar appendix small, papillate.

Specimens of Clavulina alutaceo-siccescens are clearly marked by simple to almost simple stature, white to off-white colour when fresh, and tan to alutaceous colour when dry. Aseptate cystidia further separate it from C. samuelsii.

Corner et al. (1958) description of Clavulina mussooriensis Corner, Thind, & Dev seems close, but a specimen from India (TENN no. 37652, ex PAN) shows septate cystidia and branched fruit bodies. C. hispidulosa differs in precisely the same ways (see under that species).

Cystidia in Clavulina alutaceo-siccescens occur singly and in small clusters, and often are hardly emergent. As usual, the distal portion is refringent, and the refringent portion was set off by a clamped septum in one cystidium observed. Whereas in most taxa cystidia are clearly discernible under a dissecting microscope, the hymenium of C. alutaceo-siccescens appears smooth at that magnification

Fruit bodies up to 9 cm high, up to 4 cm broad, repeatedly branched, more or less arbuscular. Stipe 0.5-4 cm x 3-7 mm, distinct, irregular in cross section, not terete, whitish below ("cream buff"), and there matted to tomentose, tan to brownishtan ("clay-color") above and into lower branches and sterile areas; flesh stuffed to lightly stuffed to hollow. Major branches 2-several, channelled to flattened, rebranching 1-4 times; axils rounded to narrowly rounded, internodes diminishing irregularly and gradually. Branches mouse-grey to quaker-grey ("drab", "wood-color", "hair-brown") on hymenial surface; hymenium clearly unilateral, with sterile areas predominant on lower branches but hymenium amphigenous on upper branches; hymenium minutely papillose from clusters of cystidia at x60. Apices moderately long to long, acute to acerose, not dichotomous, pale dull violaceous ("drab"); Odour and taste negligible.

Tramal hyphae of branches up to 12 gm dram., hyaline, free, more or less parallel, thin- to slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.5 gm thick), clamped. Subhymenium poorly developed, of inflated, short cells. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia (Fig. 45) 65-75 x 7-8 gym, cylindrical, clamped, hyaline when young, and often appearing as non-emergent cystidia; contents multiguttulate when mature, the guttules highly refringent; sterigmata 2, stout, curved-divergent; post-partal septation present or absent. Cystidia (Fig. 46) occasional to rare, often in groups or clusters, 110-150 x 10-12 gm, cylindrical, aseptate, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 1 gin thick), hyaline below, refringent for apical 20-30 pm, clamped, emergent up to 40 gym, visible at x60.

Spores (Fig. 47) 7.9-9.4 x 6.5-8.3 R in (E =1.05-1.33; E¬1.17; Lm = 8.49 gm), subglobose to very broadly ovate, thin-walled, opalescent to uniguttulate; hilar appendix small, papillate.

The species is well marked by: (i) the brown and grey colouration of mature fruit bodies, (ii) the occasional cystidia; and (iii) the unilateral hymenium of at least the lower branches. If one attempts to use Corner's (1970) key to cystidiate Clavulina taxa for C. brunneo-cinerea, one is led to C. mussooriensis, which Corner reports from New Zealand. Although I have not seen the New Zealand material to which he referred, there is some indication that mixed material was examined. That C. brunneocinerea was part of that material can be inferred by the citation of colours, branched fruit bodies, and cystidia. Concomitantly, Corner also cited simple fruit bodies and the presence of post-partal septation, both characteristic of C. geoglossoides and neither characteristic of C. brunneo-cinerea. As in Clavulina geoglossoides, cystidia occur in clusters, but so far as I can tell; they are much less common in C. brunneo-cinerea. Occasionally, the cystidia branch laterally in the middle, from a clamped septum, and both the original cystidium and the branch develop into the characteristically refringent cystidial tips. In large or luxuriant fruit bodies, the lower stem is covered with a white, strigose-felty tomentum which may extend on to the substrate as a mycelial mat. This may obscure the tan colour of the stem, but I have not seen a collection in which no fruit bodies showed the light brown base.

Post-partal basidial septation is rare or absent in most collections, but locally common or universally so in some (notably TENN no. 43424). This coincides with observations on other taxa, rendering the character suspect at the species rank.

Fruit bodies up to 3.5 x 1 cm, sparingly but finely branched, gregarious to densely cespitose (and then perhaps abortive or remaining juvenile), whitish when young, slowly becoming mouse-grey to brownish-grey ("light drab", "drab", "hair-brown", "dusky") with ivory-coloured stipe and apices. Stipe 8 x 3 mm, irregular in cross section, inserted nakedly, but involving a small ball of substrate. Branches 2-3, flattened, occasionally palmate, twisted; axils rounded to acute. Apices cristate or irregularly acerose to irregularly lobed or gnarled, not dichotomous. Odour and taste negligible.

Tramal hyphae of branches hyaline, thin-walled, inflated up to 9 pm diam., clamped, free, generally parallel, often agglutinated in juxtaposition to subhymenium. Hymenium thickening; basidia 42-47 x 7 gm, clamped, subclavate to cylindrical, opalescent to multiguttulate when mature; sterigmata 2, curved-divergent; post-partal septation common but not invariable, the proximal portion remaining refringent under phase contrast. Cystidia (Fig. 48) plentiful, scattered, 50-85 x 10-12 gm, narrowly sphaero-pedunculate, emergent up to 40 gm, aseptate, the apical portion refringent under phase contrast, the more proximal part hyaline.

Spores (Fig. 49) 7.6-9.0 x 6.1-7.2 gm (E =1.11-1.25; E" =1.19; L'° = 8.02 gm), subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, opalescent when mature; hilar appendix small, papillate.

Macroscopically, fruit bodies are similar to small individuals of Clavulina leveillei, under which name they were gathered. Microscopically, however, spores and basidia are considerably smaller, cystidia are shorter, more broadly clavate, aseptate, refringentandmore plentiful. When dried, fruit bodies sometimes take on a somewhat cartilaginous appearance, indicative of the agglutinating substance present in some tissues also being present on the fruit body exterior.

At x60, the hymenium appears pruinose from the scattered cystidia, which are not in clusters as in Clavulina geoglossoides and other taxa. The branch apices appear sterile, but the hymenium is otherwise amphigenous.

Fruit bodies up to 8 x 3 cm, sparsely to copiously branched, more or less arbuscular. Stipe discrete, white below, concolourous with branches above, channeled and grooved in cross section, solid to firmly stuffed, arising from a small mass of mycelium lacking a basal pad. Branches in 2-4 ranks, arising irregularly, usually flattened (at least below), palmatifid, whitish ("pale cinnamon-pink", "cartridge-buff") when very young, slowly changing to dull light pinkish cinnamon ("pinkish buff", "vinaceous buff", "cinnamon-buff", "light pinkish cinnamon"), drying greyish avellaneous; hymenium unilateral below, amphigenous upward, upward often nodulose or papillate; axils acute to rounded; internodes very irregular. Apices cristate to shortly acerose to prolonged, subulate or flagelliform, usually paler in colour than branches. Odour and taste negligible.

Tramal hyphae of branches inflated up to 10 gm diam., free, somewhat thick-walled (wall up to 0.8 gm thick), hyaline, free, clamped, generally parallel. Subhymenium of inflated, tortuous cells. Hymenium thickening; basidia 50-60 x 7-8 gm, cylindrical, clamped, multiguttulate when mature; post-partal septation occasional; sterigmata 2, stout, divergent-curved.

Spores (see Fig. 54) 8.3-10.1 x 7.6-8.3 gm (E =1.09¬1.33; E'" =1.20; L'" = 9.40 gm), subglobose to broadly ovate, thin-walled, opalescent in content; hilar appendix small, papillate.

Clavulina taxa with clamped hyphae but no cystidia are a problem for taxonomists. Colours seem to approach grey or other sombre pastels, spores are rather consistent in size, and fruit body stature is very variable within collections, much less within taxa. The variety here is no exception. In colour and stature collections resemble C. subrugosa, but when dried, fruit bodies become sordid grey, and spores are too large to match those of C. subrugosa. I cannot find another taxon which closely matches this, and it is so close to other varieties of C. cristata (i.e., C. cristata var. bicolor Donk), that taxonomically I feel justified in treating it in this way. Conversely, I strongly suspect that C. cristata does not fruit in the Southern Hemisphere, and consequently I am uncomfortable about proposing this taxon under this species epithet.

In the literature there are few notes on colours of very young fruit bodies. In some taxa in which the adults are pigmented, the juveniles are also, but in others, fruit bodies are first white or whitish, but become suffused with colour, probably as pigment in the basidia. The above variety is so, being first off-white and then changing colour ontogenetically.

I am not familiar enough with the Pacific taxa of Clavulina to successfully distinguish the taxon with certainty. It differs from C. cavipes Corner in solid to stuffed flesh, and in lacking gloeoplerous hyphaein the trama. C. decipiens Corner produces almost uninflated, thick-walled tramal hyphae and pale tan spores.

Fruit bodies up to 17 x 4.5 cm, branched, arbuscular. Stipe discrete, irregularly flattened, up to 45 x 7 mm, purple-black ("aniline-black") when fresh, overlaid by a white "bloom" which persists on drying, pilose to matted-tomentose below, arising from a significant patch of mycelium on soil. Major branches 2-4, dull purple ("anthracene-purple"), smooth, irregularly flattened, drying to deep purplish grey; hymenium dull avellaneous ("light brownish drab"). Branches in 2-4 ranks, with sterile patches, ascending, flattened, vinaaceous purple ("dull Indian-purple") when fresh, drying to avellaneous, minutely papillose all over, with papillae more numerous and conspicuous upward; hymenium greyish violet ("vinaceous drab"), unilateral in many places; flesh off-white, appearing water-soaked, fibrous, solid outward, stuffed inward; axils narrowly rounded; internodes long, diminishing irregularly and little. Apices irregularly cristate to flagelliform, papillose, livid pink-flesh ("orange¬vinaceous", "Etruscan-red").

Tramal hyphae of branches up to 9 gm diam., hyaline, thin-walled, clamped, commonly guttulate, generally parallel, loosely packed. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia 60-80 x 7-9 gm, narrowly clavate, clamped; contents multiguttulate, yellow-refringent; sterigmata 2, cornute, slender; effete basidia persistent; post-partal septation uncommon. Cystidia 80-160 x 9-10 Ftm, cylindrical, somewhat undulate, aseptate to occasionally 1-septate (septum clamped), refringent distally, in clusters of 10-50, emergent up to 100 gm, yellowish under bright field.

Spores 8.3-10.1 x 6.8-7.6 Ftm (E= 1.10-1.47; E^' =1.25; L'" = 9.04 gm), subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, hyaline; contents uniguttulate, the guttule almost filling the spore lumen; hilar appendix papillate, small.

Unfortunately, I have seen only one fruit body of this taxon, but its size, colour, and micromorphology are so unique that I propose a new species. Purple colours are not abnormal in Clavulina, for almost all those taxa whose fruit bodies are grey to mouse-grey have a violet to purple component to the colour. Clavulina purpurea is the only taxon I know in which the purple pigments are unmasked. It would appear that immature branches must be purple to reddish violet (upward) but must be masked by the grey hymenium which thickens gradually but significantly.

From characters used in the key above, Clavuhna purpurea would seem close to C. brunneo-cinerea, but C. purpurea shows a nearly black stipe and papillate upper branches. Fruit bodies of C. brunneo-cinerea are considerably bushier, with thicker, shorter stipe and more congested branches. Cystidia in Clavulina purpurea occur almost exclusively in large clusters so emergent as to be macroscopic. The clustering phenomenon is not unique, being shared by several other cystidiate taxa, but only C. hispidulosa has been reported as showing macroscopic clusters, although not of the magnitude of those found in C. purpurea.

Fruit bodies up to 35 x 4 mm, usually simple and then narrowly fusiform to subcylindrical with club and stipe flattened somewhat, to occasionally branched, and then branches few, often appearing adventitious, with acute axils and lobed apices, arising from significant white mycelial mat, often connate into groups of 2-4; colour violaceous ivory-colour ("tilleul-buff") all over when young, slowly becoming tan to orange-ochre in the stipe; flesh white; hymenium amphigenous, pruinose under x100, especially on lower club; distinction between stipe and hymenium well marked, especially when dry.

Hyphae of club trama 2.5-6 gm diam., thin-walled, hyaline, clamped, long-celled, generally parallel. Subhymenial hyphae similar to those of the trama, short-celled, hardly inflated. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia 60-70 x 7.5-9.5 gm, subcylindrical to narrowly clavate, more or less refringent when 'mature but without discrete guttules, clamped; sterigmata (1)-2-(3), stout, divergent, curved; post¬partal septation not observed; cystidia (Fig. 57) up to 150 gm long, cylindrical, arising in subhymenium, projecting from the hymenium up to 50 gm, 9-12 gm diam., septate 1-4 times, with clamps at all septa, golden-refringent apically.

Spores (Fig. 58) 7.2-9.4 x 6.1-7.6 gm (E =1.05-1.41; E'° =1.18; L'° = 8.35 gym), very broadly ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, opalescent (not discernibly uniguttulate) when mature; hilar appendix small, papillate.

All the collections cited were gathered under the name Clavulina tasmanica, at a time when I confused C. tasmanica and C. geoglossoides. Because the latter was so commonly collected, no fresh-colour notes were taken. On microscopic examination, however, cystidia are found consistently to be septate with clamps, to occur singly but abundantly, and spores are somewhat smaller and more ellipsoid than those of C. tasmanica. Moreover, dried specimens show tan to orange-ochre stipes (and overall colour when immature), not seen in dried material of C. tasmanica.

Fruit bodies up to 7 x 2 cm, branched repeatedly, slender, arbuscular, arising from a tangle of slender white rhizomorphic strands involving significant substrate. Stipe discrete, up to 18 mm long, 1.5-3 min thick, usually flattened somewhat, sterile. Branches in 1-3 ranks, ascending, slender, flattened; axils narrowly rounded; internodes irregular in length and diminishing irregularly; hymenium amphigenous above, often unilateral downward. Apices cristate, acerose, di- to polychotomous. Colour when young very pale pinkish cream ("pale cinnamon pink", "pale pinkish cinnamon") all over, slowly deepening to light pinkish flesh ('light pinkish cinnamon") or pale avellaneous ("vinaceous buff'). Odour and taste negligible.

Hyphae of stem trama up to 12 gm dram., thin- to slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.3 gm thick), clamped, long-celled, more or less parallel, gnarled to tortuous, hyaline. Branch tramal hyphae of two types: (i) medullary hyphae up to 6 gm dram., equal, straight, parallel; and (ii) cortical hyphae up to 12 gm dram., inflated, somewhat gnarled, constricted at septa. Subhymenial hyphae greatly inflated, short-celled, appearing pseudoparenchymatous, clamped. Hymenium thickening; basidia (Fig. 59) 60-80 x 8-9.5 gm, narrowly clavate to subcylindrical, clamped; contents multiguttulate when mature; sterigmata 2, stout, divergent; post-partal septation common but not universal. Cystidia (Fig. 60) -250 l.m long, arising from subhymenium, 10-14 gm dram., seldom solitary, usually in fascicles of up to 20 individuals, projecting up to 100 p m from hymenial surface, septate, clamped, inflated; apical 1-3 cells refringent with sludgy golden contents.

Spores (Fig. 61) 8.6-10.1 x 6.8-7.5gm (E =1.14-1.33; E'^ = 1.25; L^' = 9.10 um), ellipsoid. to very broadly ellipsoid, hyaline; contents uniguttulate when mature; hilar appendix papillate.

Under mixed forest with Nothofagus dominant.

Corner et al. (1956) description of the micromorphology of Clavulina hispidulosa matches this specimen very closely, and a specimen under this name from India (TENN no. 37644) confirms this similarity. The fasciculate, septate, clamped cystidia are diagnostic, and the fascicles can be seen with a x10 lens as papillose spines. At the same time, however, their description of macromorphology, based (it would appear) on two specimens, does not agree very well with the specimens below. Firstly, fruit body colour was described as "...at first white, then grey to fuliginous", not pallid avellaneous, the colour of the material cited below. Secondly, specimens were described as simple to branched, but the branching pattern was very variable and not much like that of the material cited in "Specimens Examined".

Fruit bodies of the New Zealand material were invariably not only branched, but normally arbuscular, with discrete stipe and several ranks of ascending branches. Corner et al. (1956) did not describe the subhymenium of C. hispidulosa, and TENN no. 37644 does not closely match the pseudoparenchymatous type of tissue shown by the collections cited in "Specimens Examined".

Cystidia are not easily discerned in microscope mounts, but under x120 are seen to protrude in tufts. Apparently, only the refringent apical cell emerges from the hymenium, which raises questions about cystidial ontogeny in the thickening hymenium. Even short cystidia show the refringent apical cell, and I suspect that extension, although caused by apical growth, carries the refringent portion along, for subapical cells are always hyaline.

Fruit bodies up to 55 x 5 mm, gracile, simple to branched once or twice, occasionally cristate, off-white to pale ivory ("cartridge-buff") at all ages, never darker than very pale dull yellow ("cream-buff'), solitary, gregarious to cespitose in small (2-5) groups, arising from very small, appressed, white mycelial mats; stipe indistinct, not glabrous. Branches irregular, dichotomous to monopodial, sometimes half the length of the fruit body and then gracile and more or less terete, sometimes represented by an expanded-flattened row of apical crests or a combination of both types; in some collections some bruises slowly turning pallid dull pinkish tan ("pinkish-buff'). Odour none; taste negligible.

Tramal hyphae of upper fruit body hyaline, 3-8 gm diam., clamped, thin- to slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.3 gm thick), inflated somewhat, more or less parallel; hyphae of subhymenium 5-13 gm diam., inflated, with inconspicuous clamps. Hymenium thickening; basidia 38-60 x 7-8.5 gm, clavate to subclavate, clamped, hyaline, multiguttulate when mature; post-partal septation common but not invariable; cystidia none.

Spores 7.6-9 x 6.1-7.2 Rm (E =1.11-1.32; E'" =1.21; L 8.1 gm), subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, hyaline; contents uniguttulate, refringent under phase contrast; hilar appendix small, papillate.

Under both mixed podocarp and Nothofagus forest.

Ut in C. subrugosa, sed receptacula matura pallide incarnato¬alutacea, tenuia. Basidiis 38-601tm longis. Sporis L^ = 8.1 pun.

The various off-white fruit bodies in this genus are confusing, especially in the absence of cystidia. Small basidia and spores help mark this taxon, however, and the fruit bodies seem invariably slender and gracile, even when branched. The bruising reaction seems irregular, being seen only in some fruit bodies of some collections.

I have been tempted to place these collections under Clavulina gracilis Corner, but his description and the type specimen at CGE show that fruit bodies of that taxon are not branched. With so many names already in the literature, I am loath to describe a new species in this group of non-cystidiate clavulinas, especially from the Pacific. Nonetheless, I cannot find a suitable name under which to place these collections. I am drawn to Clavulina subrugosa, with which I am familiar both from Australia and New Zealand for it shares all microscopic characters with these collections, but fruit bodiesof that taxon do not usually show cristate apices, and usually turn to grey shades by maturity. Thus, as a compromise, and with misgivings, I propose a new variety under C. subrugosa.

Fruit bodies up to 45 x 20 mm, branched, obpyramidal to fusiform in general outline, gregarious to cespitose, arising from a mycelial mass involving soil substrate but very little visible mat. Stipe discrete, up to 20 mm long, tan ("tawny olive"), or fruit body branching from the base, often below substrate level so as to appear cespitose, flattened somewhat to lobed in cross section. Branches in 1-3 ranks, flattened, dull fleshy tan to tan ("cinnamon buff', "tawny olive") when young, dull violaceous tan ("wood brown") when mature; internodes diminishing gradually; axils narrowly rounded to acute. Apices subcristate to narrowly lobed or minutely mitten-shaped when mature, cristate only when young, paler than branches ("avellaneous"). Macrochemical reaction: FCL = darkening but not green.

Tramal hyphae of stipe and upper branches 2.5-7 gm diam., hyaline, clamped, parallel. Subhymenium scanty. Hymenium not significantly thickening; basidia (Fig. 62) 36-41 x 7.5-8.3 gm, clamped, subcylindrical to subtly suburniform (see commentary), golden tan under bright field, yellow¬refringent under phase contrast; contents multiguttulate with one large guttule predominating; sterigmata 2, slender, up to 6.5 gm long, divergent¬curved; post-partal septation absent. Cystidia (Fig. 63) unobtrusive, 30-40 x 6.8-9 l m, elongate barrel-shaped to subcylindrical, to lobed or branched, not septate, hardly protruding from hymenium, clamped.

Spores (Fig. 64) 7.9-9.7 x 6.8-8.6 gm (E =1.00-1.17; E, = 1.10; L'° = 8.57 gym), globose to subglobose, thin¬walled, uniguttulate, very pale beige under bright field; hilar appendix papillate.

The tan colour is not restricted to hymenial elements, although it is most pronounced there. The stipe and lower branches are also tan, but I cannot discern whether the colour is in the cell contents or cell walls. If one concludes that the walls are pigmented, then subg. Fusco-clavulina Corner must be considered. None of the taxa therein fit this collection, however. Likewise, I cannot find a taxon in subg. Clavulina which matches.

The flesh is white, contrasting with the surface. This may be what Corner (1970) reported as Clavulina mussooriensis from New Zealand. Specimens under that name from India in TENN show cystidia emergent and often septate, basidia with post-partal septation, and subglobose to ellipsoid spores (El =1.28 gm). I have not seen the New Zealand material at CGE, so I cannot judge its identity.

Basidial ontogeny is as follows: very young basidia are bullet-shaped. The first basidium of a cyme forms a clamped septum at this early stage, but subsequent basidia, which arise as branches just below the subbasidial swelling of the previous basidium, do not form such a septum until later in their development. The basidial initial elongates somewhat, to a length of 17-22 gm and a rather constant diameter. When this length range is attained, elongation apparently slows or stops, and two processes occur: (i) the initial inflates somewhat to become elongate barrel-shaped rather than digitate; and (ii) refringent yellowish guttules begin to appear in the basidial lumen. From relative numbers of such young basidia versus mature basidia, I conclude that this stage is rather long, i.e., that further maturation is postponed. When elongation is reinitiated, the apical portion of the maturing basidium is somewhat narrower than the initial from which it proceeded, and although some circumferential enlargement occurs apically, most mature basidia show a median constriction resulting from this two-stage maturation. For a time, the oil droplets remain in the basidial base, but eventually migrate distally, increasing in number and coalescing into larger individuals. Mature basidia often show one very large apical guttule, as well as many smaller individuals.

Sterigmata are relatively short and slender for the genus, but otherwise normal. After spore discharge, post-partal septation seems absent, but effete basidia are persistent. This mode of basidial maturation, so far as I know, has not been reported in this genus. Corner (1950,1970) understandably was concerned with other more strikingly anomalous basidial characters, such as sterigmata number and post-partal septation. Some of his figures (Corner 1950, e.g., text figs 25,133) suggest that the bullet-shaped initial expands as described above.

Conversely, this ontogenetic progression is typical of Multiclavula (Petersen 1967a) in the clavarioid fungi. It is best described as "suburniform" in the sense of Oberwinkler (1982). This basidial ontogeny is much better known in the corticioid Homobasidiomycetes. Boidin (1958) merely indicated that Sistotrema Fr. (= Trechispora seas. str. Boidin) produced urnigera-type basidia, and showed stichic basidial nuclear spindles in meiosis. This character coupling was mentioned by Donk (1964b), but not emphasised, and in a list of genera with stichic basidia (Donk 1964b; p.222) no members of the corticioid group was included. Hubbard & Petersen (1979) reported the coupling in Multiclavula (see below under Multiclavula Petersen). Using Oberwinkler's (1982) hypothesis, the urnigera basidia of Sistotrema can be compared favourably with those of Hyphodontia Eriksson. Eriksson & Ryvarden (1976) compared Hyphodontia with Hyphoderma Wallr., and under the latter name (Eriksson & Ryvarden 1975), several rather striking similarities to Clavulina may be found. Cystidia are very similar, includingboth septate (and clamped) and non-septate forms, constricted, "suburniform" basidia, and spores with copious oil inclusions. Conversely, I can find no literature on basidial nuclear behaviour in Hyphoderma or related genera (but I have hardly searched), except some illustrations by jiilich (1974) of H. setigerum (Fr.) Donk which show a 4¬nucleate basidium, the nuclei of which are low in the basidium. These may be residual nuclei, however, and therefore not indicative.

Two younger basidia are depicted, again in 4-nucleate stages, and again the nuclei are low in the basidium, a location rather indicative of stichic behaviour (cf., Boidin 1958, Donk 1964b). Finally, the circumscription of Hyphoderma offered by Jiilich & Stalpers (1980) is not at odds with the microscopic characters of Clavulina, although the diversity of all structures is much wider in the former than in the latter.

The above are mentioned because of the traditional taxonomic isolation of Clavulina. With the possible exception of the resupinate genus Clavulicium Pilat which has been likened to Clavulina by some authors (Parmasto 1968), Clavulina has stood alone since its segregation from other clavarioid genera by Schroeter (1889). Donk (1964b) placed it in a monogeneric family, the Clavulinaceae, compared to Canlharellus L.: Fr. and Hydnum L.: Fr. but far removed from them. The most pressing need is for observation of basidial nuclear behaviour in the Hyphodermoideae. Cystidia in this taxon can be distinguished from young basidia only because young basidia include discrete oil guttules, while the entire contents of similar cystidia are refringent. Longer cystidia present less trouble, even though they rarely protrude from the hymenium.

Fruit bodies up to 6.5 x 2 cm, branched, arbuscular, with branches in 2-4 ranks, or subsimple, with club branching once or twice very near its apex. Stipe short, often imperceptibly merging with hymenium, arising from a small tangle of white mycelium, and sometimes clothed at base with minutely hispid whitish mycelium, flattened or lobed in cross section, pale to light yellow ("light ochraceous buff" to "warm buff"), becoming concolourous with branches. Branches flattened somewhat, often covered with white powder (spores), minutely hispid (from cystidia), pale to light buffy yellow ("pale pinkish cinnamon", "light ochraceous buff") when young, becoming fleshy brown to violaceous tan ("light pinkish cinnamon", "fawn color", "wood-brown", "vinaceous brown", "cacao-brown", to "avellaneous"); axils narrowly rounded; internodes very irregular, diminishing irregularly. Apices awl-shaped, rarely subcristate, short to long, concolourous to branches, turning black in age, especially when dry. Bruises or abrasions slowly turning chocolate-brown ("walnut-brown").

Tramal hyphae of upper club or branches 2.5-7 p m diam., without clamp connections, hyaline, thin- to slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.2 gm thick), generally but loosely parallel. Hymenium thickening considerably; basidia 65-75 x 7-9 gm, narrowly clavate, without clamp connection, at maturity multiguttulate, the guttules refringent; post-partal septation common but not invariable; sterigmata 2, curved-divergent. Cystidia (Fig. 65) cylindrical, 85-160 x 10-12 gm, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.5 gm thick), rounded at apex, without clamp connection; apical portion often refringent, especially in younger hymenia; median band of roughened wall or crystalline deposit within hymenium (not above it).

Spores (Fig. 66) 7.6-11.2 x 7.9-10.4 gm (E =1.00-1.32; El =1.12; L'° = 9.8 gm), globose to very broadly ovate, hyaline, white in prints; contents with one large guttule, or often with major guttule and several smaller peripheral guttules; hilar appendix papillate.

Under both mixed podocarp and Nothofagus forest.

Two collections below (TENN no. 43398, 43399) were made side by side, but were kept separate for two reasons: (i) they were perceived as belonging to separate mycelia, for they were separated by several metres; and (ii) the fruit bodies of one (no. 43399) were generously branched whereas those of the other were linear, subsimple, and branched only at the apex or monopodially. Under x60 the hymenium of both were obviously setulose, covered with a turf of protruding cystidia,'which trapped spores to form a fine white powder. Fruit bodies of both collections dried to a sordid olivaceous grey. When both were found to be identical microscopically, their conspecificity was confirmed. McNabb no. 31 and 108 (PDD) reflect precisely the same macroscopic differences, with the simpler fruit bodies bearing obvious chocolate-brown bruises. I am tempted to propose forms based on habit, but insufficient collections have been examined to make this practical.

It is possible that these collections belong in the typical variety of Clavulina vinaceo-cervina, but I have had experience with that taxon (Petersen 1983a) and consider them not to be contaxic. The typical variety shows pinkish to rosy colours, not dull violaceous brown, and bruises turn vinaceous, not chocolate¬brown. Cystidia and spores, conversely, are similar, and both fungi lack clamp connections. I conclude that if some red pigment was removed from fruit bodies of C. vinaceo-cervina, and its pigments, therefore, "flattened" toward neutral browns and/or yellows, it would be easy to derive a colour-form like var. avellanea. This is the reason for my disposition of the collections.

Corner (1970) has reported encrusted cystidia in the hymenium of various Clavulina taxa. I have never seen these, although I have mounted hymenia in both 2% KOH and in water. Conversely, I have observed wall irregularity and/or very fine crystal deposits, as described here. I do not know under what conditions incrustation might be visible. Cystidia in this taxon usually arise lower in the subhymenium then basidia, and wall irregularity of cystidia in var. avellanea is rare, and occurs 20-30 gm lower than the surface of the hymenial layer.

Ut in M. defibulata, sed receptacula cremea ad pallide flava.

Fruit bodies up to 100 x 2 mm, filiform, simple clubs, linear, equal, arising from small white mycelial patches, with no sclerotium. Stipe somewhat narrower than club, appearing silky to glabrous, more or less concolourous with club. Club terete, tan to cinnamon-tan ("tawny-olive", "clay-color", "cinnamon-buff"); surface mat; apex rounded. Taste and odour not recorded.

Tramal hyphae of club 2-25 gm diam., hyaline, thin-to somewhat thick-walled (wall up to 0.7 j.m thick), rarely clamped, strictly parallel, moderately dextrinoid, perhaps adherent. Subhymenium rudimentary. Hymenium thickening; basidia (Fig. 69) 45-60 x 7-8.5 gm, clavate-truncate, sometimes clamped, free in young hymenium, somewhat adherent in older hymenia; contents homogeneous; sterigmata 4, stout, divergent, somewhat swollen proximally, very delicate distally. Cystidioid elements (Fig. 70) 45-60 x 5-6 gm, cigar-shaped, usually constricted about 10-20 gm from apex to appear urniform, thin-walled; contents homogeneous. Caulocystidia (Fig. 71) arising as skeletalised, somewhat inflated tips of superficial stipe hyphae, subsequently elongating into seta-like extensions up to 300 gm long, skeletalised at base (wall up to 2.2 gm thick), progressively thinner-walled distally, finally thin-walled at tip, lanceolate to stiff-filiform, more numerous downward, subpilose at stipe base.

Spores (Fig. 72) 6.5-9 x 4.3-5.0 gm (E =1.54-1.92; E^' = 1.70; L'" = 7.86 gm), broadly cylindrical, somewhat flattened adaxially, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline; contents homogeneous, or apparently univacuolate; hilar appendix small, papillate.

North Temperate Macrotyphula junceus (Fr.) Berthier, extremely similar to this taxon, shows clamps on hyphae of all tissues. In M. defibulata, clamps vary from rare to absent. For example, TENN no. 43409 showed rare clamps on tramal and subhymenial hyphae, whereas only two basidial bases were observed as clamped (although the hymenium was agglutinated and so made accurate observation difficult). Conversely, TENN no. 43408 showed no clamps, even though subhymenium and basidia were easily observed. Moreover, when tramal clamps are present, they seem to be occasionally local, but absent from most septa. Thus, in both forms of M. defibulata clamps are rare to absent. Examination of a specimen of M. junceus from Europe (TENN no. 41316, Brienz, Switzerland) confirmed that most (if not all) tramal septa were clamped.

To form a better judgment of variation within Macrotyphula junceus, I examined several additional specimens under that name with the following results. 1. India (TENN no. 37687, Tiger Hill, ex PAN 237): fruit body apparently brown; basal patch dark brown; tramal hyphae thick-walled, yellowish, unclamped, disarticulating commonly; spores 5.8-7.2 x 4.3-5.4 gm (E"' =1.32). Probably an undescribed taxon. 2. Eastern North America (TENN no. 40118, Great Smoky Mountains National Park): fruit bodies tan, very stout (up to 2.5 mm thick); basal pad white; tramal hyphae less inflated than in other specimens, thin-walled, clamped; subhymenium and hymenium free; basidia 45-55 x 6-7 gm, narrowly clavate, clamped; spores 7.6-9.7 x 4-4.3 prrt (E'" = 2.11). Probably an undescribed taxon. 3. Western North America (TENN no. 34409, Redwood Forest, California): fruit bodies and micromorphology indistinguishable from European material. 4. South-eastern Australia (TENN no. 41222, Brisbane Ranges): fruit bodies and micromorphology indistinguishable from M. defibulata f. defibulata.

The best summary of this genus, originally monotypic (Petersen 1972), was by Berthier (1976) in which he accepted four species. The only taxon producing filiform fruit bodies was Macrotyphula lunceus, which, faithful to Corner (1950, 1970), was reported virtually worldwide. Even the very crude summary above indicates that additional taxa await description, but that characters will not be easily observed.

Berthier (1976) reported that European material of Macrotyphula junceus was heterothallic and tetrapolar. Spores of New Zealand material easily germinate and can be tested in the same way. Care must be taken to ascertain that spores are uninucleate, as they are in M. junceus.

Within a few millimetres of the fruit body apex, the hymenium is free, and basidia squash so their bases are relatively easily seen. Older portions of the hymenium and subhymenium become adherent to agglutinated, however, and hyphal details become almost impossible to observe.

The typical form apparently fruits on broad-leafed debris. Another form, with much paler fruit body colour, fruits predominantly on Dacrydium debris. Because this colour difference may be a micro-ecological phenomenon, I propose only a form to accommodate it, especially because this seems to be the only difference.

Fruit bodies of indeterminate length, less than 1 mm thick, as more or less erect extensions of sterile rhizomorphs. Rhizomorphs beige, tan or pallid ochre, silky, equal, sterile, fertile areas indistinguishable, ascending. Taste and odour not recorded. Tramal hyphae 5-14 pm diam., hyaline, thin- to slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.5 gm thick), unclamped, strictly parallel, adherent. Subhymenium extensive; hyphae 2-3 gm diam., unclamped, hyaline, tortuous. Hymenium thickening, agglutinated; basidia 30-35 x 7-9 gm, broadly clavate, unclamped; contents homogeneous; sterigmata 4, extremely stout, inflated proximally, abruptly narrowing distally. Caulocystidia (Figs 73, 74) of two types: (i) 15-25 x 6-7 gym, curved-clavate, thick-walled; (ii) up to 350 p.m long, thick-walled and somewhat inflated below, narrowing distally to a filiform tip.

Spores (Fig. 75) 6.8-8.3 x 2.9-3.2 gm (E = 2.22-2.75; E'" = 2.48; L- = 7.38 gm), cylindrical to narrowly reniform, hyaline, thin-walled; contents homogeneous; hilar appendix gradual, broad.

For years I have observed (and sometimes collected) tangles of rhizomorphs with erect (and therefore clavarioid) ends, only to find them consistently sterile. Now I find several collections with rare fertile hymenium. Tramal structure, caulocystidia, and general habit match Macrotyphula very well, and may have been figured by Corner (1950, text fig. 103, right side, under Clavariadelphus junceus). Differences between M. rhizomorpha and the M. junceus (or M. defibulata) complex are so numerous that I have no hesitation in proposing a new species.

Apparently included in the hymenium are many conidiophores, but I cannot distinguish them. My conclusion is based on abundant conidia, similar to basidiospores (but small), which are freed in squash mounts. The short, clavate caulocystidia must elongate into the longer, tapering type, which vary greatly in length, but I have not seen short, obviously intermediate forms. Caulocystidia in M. rhizomorpha are similar to those of M. defibulata, and somewhat longer than those described by Berthier (1976) for European M. juncea.

Fruit bodies up to 17 x 11 mm, branched, very slender and delicate, arising from significant, verythin, arachnoid, white mycelial patches up to 50 mm' , and accompanied by similar resupinate patches without fruit bodies. Stipe up to 4 x 0.7 mm, often almost absent and then fruit body branched from base, terete, translucent, concolourous with branches when young, slowly changing to pallid pinkish ochre ("ochraceous salmon") and this colour suffusing upward. Branches lax, curved-ascending, dichotomous to irregular, terete, less than 1 mm thick but occasionally irregularly inflated, translucent, pallid yellow-ochre ("warm-buff"); axils lunate; internodes irregular. Apices irregular in length, rounded. Odour negligible; taste not recorded.

Tramal hyphae of branches 3-12 gm diam., irregularly inflated, especially around septa, hyaline, clamped, free, more or less parallel. Subhymenium rudimentary. Hymenium not thickening greatly; basidia 25-30 x 5-6 gym, clamped, subcylindrical, very delicate; contents homogeneous; sterigmata 4, very slender, erect, straight.

Spores (Fig. 80) 5-7.2 x 2.9-3.6 gm (E =1.56-2.22; E^' = 1.87; L^' = 5.76 gm), ellipsoid to short-cylindrical or subreniform, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, contents homogeneous; hilar appendix small, papillate.

My conjecture of an association with a slime mould plasmodium is based on three observations: (i) when a small drop of water is placed on the substrate near a fruit body, the surface quickly becomes slimy; (ii) the areas where fruit bodies are formed are all somewhat darker in colour than the surrounding substrate surface, very much like dried specimens of resupinate jelly fungi; and (iii) when the slime is examined microscopically, it is found to include a remarkable number and varietyof spores and bacteria, further attesting to its sticky consistency. Finally, such an association is not unique, for Multiclavula delicata (Fr.) Pet., a very similar fungus, has been so reported. Fruit bodies of M. delicata are white, but conform to those described above in virtually every other regard. Interestingly, Fries' description of Clavaria delicata includes its habitat on rotten Fagus wood, presumably replaced in New Zealand by Nothofagus. Fruit bodies of Multiclavula samuelsii dry to a dull yellow-olive, whereas those of M. delicata dry to orange-ochre.

Corner (1950,1970) has disposed of this taxonomic complex in Lentaria, which does include small-spored taxa. The most commonly encountered is L. epichnoa (Fr.) Corner, a North Temperate taxon. Fruit bodies of that species are small, pure white, but not at all translucent or delicate. Although I am not sure that Multiclavula samuelsii, M. delicata, and M. afflata (Lagger) Pet. are closely related to M. mucida, M. clara (Martin) Pet., M. calocera (Martin) Pet., and others of that complex, perhaps M. pogonati (Coker) Pet. and M. constans (Coker) Pet. are closer to M. samuelsii than to the M. mucida complex. With further study, it may be necessary to divide the genus into subgenera. Especially important will be a study of nuclear behaviour, to ascertain whether other taxa are stichobasidial, as is M. mucida.

Fruit bodies up to 12 x 3 cm, repeatedly branched, usually arbuscular, erect; stipe up to 21 x 4 mm, terete or lobed in cross section, pallid cream below, pale ochre above ("warm buff"), very locally strongly brunnescent on bruising, arising from a white mass of slender rhizomorphs and irregular mycelial pad. Major branches erect, several, terete, fleshy ochre ("ochraceous buff") to dull orange-ochre ("ochraceous tawny'); axils rounded; internodes diminishing gradually; upper branching dichotomous; hymenium amphigenous. Apices yellow ("buff-yellow"), awl shaped. When severed, upper branches quickly suffuse slate-olive about 0.5 mm from cut; stipe surface similar, but capricious; when crushed, branches slowly turn dark brown. Odour earthy; taste bitter.

Macrochemical reactions: NOH = leaching coppery red; KOH = leaching dull ochre; PYR, ANO = positive; FCL = deep olive-green; PHN = negative.

Tramal hyphae of branches 2-4 p m diam., clamped, hyaline, adherent, parallel, tightly packed. Basidia 30¬35 x 5-7 gm, subcylindrical, clamped, abruptly emergent from hymenium when mature, persistent after spore discharge; contents granular; sterigmata 4, erect, spindly.

Spores (Fig. 94) 8.6 -11.20.6-4.7 gm (E =2.08-2.80; E'" = 2.51; L'" = 9.70 l.m) elongate comma-shaped, with pronounced suprahilar depression, and often appearing inflated distally; contents uniguttulate to granular; wall up to 0.2 gm thick; hilar appendix appearing curved; ornamentation of very narrow, very sharp spines up to 2.2 gm long.

Receptacula ad 120 x 30 mm, ramosissima, arbuscularia. Rhizomorphis albis, tenuibus; stipite pallide ochraceo; ubi contuso brunnescenti. Ramis et ramulis luteo-ochraceis; apicibus flavis; con tusis pallide olivaceis; sapore amaro. Hyphis fibulatis; basidiis 30-35 ~Lm longis, cylindricis. Sporis magniformibus L^' = 9.71un, echinulatis, ut in oratione infra.

Macroscopically, fruit bodies of Ramaria ambigua strongly resemble slender individuals of R. decurrens var. australis (Coker) Pet. (cf. Petersen 1982), with snow-white basal mycelium, ochraceous branches and yellow apices. Were fruit bodies of R. subdecurrens var. burnhami Pet. larger, and were they to show amphigenous hymenium, they too would be similar to those of R. ambigua. Bruising reactions seem similar to naturally occuring colours in R. decurrens var. australis. The geographic ranges of these taxa do not overlap that of R. ambigua, but the latter can be distinguished, nonetheless, by its bright ochre coloration and usually elongate shape of the fruitbody. Micromorphology resembles that of Ramaria subdecurrens (Coker) Corner. Spores of the latter are smaller (5.9 - 8.9 x 3.0-3.7 gm; E =1.78 - 2.25; E°° = 2.06; Lm =7.37 gm). Within section Flaccidae (Corner) Pet. (cf. Petersen 1981), spores longer than 9 gm are very unusual, and even more so with such high E values. All this convinces me that R. ambigua seems closest to R. subdecurrens, but is sufficiently distinct from other taxa to warrant a new species based on rather scanty material.

The species epithet signifies the ambiguous similarities of fruit body and micromorphology, as well as the ambiguous bruising reactions.

Fruit bodies up to 6 x 6 cm, obpyramidal to subglobose in profile, branched. Stipe small, up to 1 x 1 cm, very minutely pruinose or hoary below, the pruina white, tapering downward or rounded at base, involving very little substrate on picking, whitish where protected, pale pallid pinkish yellow upward; abortive branchlets none. Major branches several, arising at about the same level, up to 5 mm thick, terete, ascending but not erect, buffy gold when young ("capucine-yellow"), changing to more muted colours ("ochraceous buff", "orange-buff") or dull salmon ("apricot-buff") by maturity; axils rounded to narrowly rounded; intenodes elongating during ontogeny, length diminishing gradually. Apices cuspidate to short-dichotomous at all ages, sometimes inflating in old age to mitten-shaped or subturbinate, yellow to "amber-yellow" to yellow-orange ("capucine-yellow") at all ages. Stipe surface appearing hygrophanous on bruising to perhaps very weakly brunnescent. Odour weakly aromatic; taste weakly fabaceous.

Macrochemical reactions: FCL = slowly deep olive; KOH, NOH, PHN, ANO, PYR, GUA, IKI = negative. Tramal hyphae of branches 5-15 gm diam., inflated, without clamp connections, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.6 um thick), hyaline, free to adherent, parallel, tightly packed; ampulliform septa occasional, up to 17 gm broad, usually somewhat thick-walled (wall up to 1 gm thick), unornamented. Subhymenium extensive; hyphae 2.5-4 girt diam., clampless, tortuous. Hymenium thickening; basidia 65-75 x 8-10 gm, clavate, clampless; contents refringent under phase contrast, to multiguttulate, moderately cyanophilous; sterigmata (2)-4, up to 5 gm long, spindly. Basidia hardly persistent after spore discharge.

Spores (Fig. 101) (7.6) 8.6-10.4 x 4-5 gm (E = 1.62¬2.27; E, = 2.06; L^' = 9.10; W°' = 4.40 gm), more or less cylindrical, often with a suprahilar depression, roughened; contents homogeneous to obscurely vacuolate; wall up to 0.2 gm thick; hilar appendix papillate; ornamentation of moderately cyanophilous meandering ridges and warts.

Receptacula ad 60 x 60 mm, ramosa, in circumscriptione obpyramidalia. Stipite parvulo, pruinoso, albo, deorsum contracto; ramis et ramulis aureo-flavis junioribus, vetustioribus flavo-salmoneis, apicibus cuspidatis, flavis ad aurantio-flavis; odore aromatico; sapore leniter fabaceo.Hyphis efibulatis, inflatis; basidiis 65-75 N.m longis, efibulatis; sterigmatibus (2)-4. Sporis 8.6-10.4 x 4-5 gm, plus minusve cylindricis, ornatis, ut in oratione infra.

Micromorphologically, Ramaria anziana closely resembles R. ochraceo-salmonicolor (Clel.) Corner from Australia, but fruit body colours and stature do not match. As its name implies, R. ochraceo-salmonicolor shows yellow-ochre apices and salmon-coloured branches. Fruit bodies also show a significant, single stipe.

Specimen RFRM 32 (PDD) showed considerable gelatinisation of stipe and branch flesh, as well as inflated apices reminiscent of those of Ramaria capitata (Lloyd) Corner from Australia. This may give a clue to a tendency toward these states in the taxon, and the collector should be alert to them.

Fruit bodies up to 55 x 30 mm, arbuscular, erect to ascending. Stipe up to 8 x 3 mm, abruptly rounded and naked at base, pallid but not white, fibrous-fleshy in consistency. Major branches 2-3, ascending, terete. Branches ascending, tan to ochraceous tan ("warm buff", "cream-buff") early, quickly darkening with spores to light brown or yellowish light brown ("buckthorn-brown", "sayal-brown", "tawny-olive"), axils narrowly rounded; internodes diminishing gradually; hymenium amphigenous, at least over upper branches. Apices digitate, rounded to mitten-shaped, off-white, slowly concolourous with branches. All parts changing colour on bruising or cutting to dark brown ("walnut-brown") then to black-brown. Odour negligible; taste weakly bitter.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = black.

Tramal hyphae of branches hyaline, clamped, adherent, parallel. Basidia 60-80 x 8-10 gm, clavate, hyaline, clamped, persistent after spore discharge; sterigmata 4.
Spores (Fig. 96) 9.7-11.5 (13.7) x 5.4 - 6.1 gm (E =1.71 - 2.00; L^' = 1.85; L'° = 10.92 gm), ellipsoid, somewhat flattened adaxially, or vaguely broadly comma-shaped; wall up to 0.6 um thick; contents with a single guttule of moderate size; hilar appendix gradual; ornamentation of discrete, densely distributed, rounded, conical spines up to 2.5 gm long.

The taxon is represented by three collections, none altogether satisfactory. The type, represented by two small fruit bodies, was chosen because it comes with accurate notes on colour and macrochemical reactions, and a photograph. The others, with several fruit bodies in good condition, are accompanied by few notes. Comparisons with other similar taxa can be summarised as follows: (i) From other taxa found in New Zealand: (a) spores are spiny (not like those of Ramaria pancaribbea var. zealandica); (b) apices are whitish (not rusty orange as in R. fragillima). (ii) From the typical form of R. gigantea, it differs in slenderer spores, which therefore show a higher E'° value.

As shown previously (Petersen 1981), although several names have been synonymised to yield my concept of Ramaria gigantea, none have come with thorough descriptions which permit accurate comparison. For example: The colour of young apices remains undescribed, and one must infer that they are pallid or off-white rather than orange, red, blue-green, or yellow as in some other taxa of the group. As to stature, the New Zealand material could be substituted for my illustration of the type of R. gigantea (Petersen 1981; fig. 14), but at a smaller scale.

I can either describe the specimens below as a new species, largely because Ramaria gigantea still lacks valuable information in its circumscription, or as a new form under this epithet. I have chosen the latter action.

Fruit bodies up to 5 cm high, up to 3 cm broad, repeatedly branched, arbuscular, arising from a tangle of pure white, slender, fragile rhizomorphic strands. Stipe up to 15 x 2.5 mm, pure white below, and remaining soon drying, hardly terete, often channelled or grooved, upward concolourous with branches. Branches di- to dichotomous throughout, in 3-6 ranks, slender (not more than 1 mm thick), flattened to terete (above), dull tan to ochraceous beige ("warm buff", "chamois", "honey-yellow", "antimony-yellow", "ochraceous buff", "cinnamon-buff", "clay-color"); axils lunate; internodes diminishing gradually; hymenium clearly unilateral, somewhat darker than sterile areas ("olive brown", "chamois").

Apices often elongate, extremely fine, acute, paler and often yellower than branches ("light ochraceous buff", "cartridge-buff", "maize-yellow"). Stipe and branches becoming greyish olive ("deep olive",, "deep greyish olive") on drying; base and rhizomorphs remaining white. Stipe and lower branches weakly vinaceous when bruised. Taste bitter; odour none.

Sections of branches in 2°%o KOH leaching yellow-brown pigment.
Macrochemical reactions: KOH, NOH = momentarily leaching coral, then brown; ANO = positive; FCL = green-black; GUA, PYR, PHN = ambiguous. Tramal hyphae of branches 4-7 p m diam., parallel, hyaline, clamped, free to slightly adherent, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.5 gm thick). Basidia about 30 x 5-6 Rm, clavate, clamped, yellowish in mass; sterigmata 4, straight, spindly. Spores (Fig. 97) 5-6.1 x 3-3.6 Rm (E =1.55-1.88; E'° _ 1.64; L'" = 5.49 gm), ellipsoid, flattened adaxially, roughened; contents obscurely refringent under phase contrast; wall thin to 0.2 gm thick; hilar appendix eccentric, more or less papillate; ornamentation of short (up to 1.2 gm long) spines scattered over all spore surface.

Ut in R. ochracea, sed receptacula sicca pallide cinereo-olivacea; ubi contusa pallide vinacea; sporis L^' = 5.5 pm.

This species has been discussed elsewhere (Petersen 1981). Specimens have been seen from Africa (type locality) and South America, and New Zealand complements this range. Small-spored members of sub g. Echinoramaria are difficult to identify or distinguish from one another. I have no notes that Ramaria ochracea fruit bodies dry with an olive colouration, so I propose a new variety. All the small-spored taxa form very similar fruit bodies, and the colour change on drying may well be the clue to an unreported species rather than a variety, but I am currently unable to solve this problem. Once cut, branch sections quickly turn dark brown to black, making it very difficult to analyse macro-chemical reactions. Reactions in PYR, ANO, and GUA were read as positive in TENN no. 43438, for instance, but were questionable in no. 43437. Tests with PHN were negative in no. 43438, ambiguous in no. 43437. Likewise, the leaching reaction in 2°%o KOH (fresh or dried material can be used) is subjective.

Material of Ramaria ochracea var. sicco-olivacea leaches rosy-coral in dilute KOH only momentarily, quickly turning yellow to ochre, whereas material of R. perfluo-punicea continues to leach pink or coral for some seconds (perhaps 20) before undergoing the same change. Nonetheless, colour of dried fruit bodies and spore statistics are better standards by which to separate taxa. TENN no. 43384, although identical micromorphologically (including spores), produced much slenderer, more densely branched fruit bodies which dried to a greyish olivaceous. Unfortunately, when collected, it was taken for R. perfluo punicea, and no notes were made on fresh colour or macrochemical reactions. In the dried condition, the specimen appears like those of R. mutabilis Schild & Petersen, found in mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but spore dimensions and shape differ from those of R. mutabilis.

Fruit bodies up to 9 x 5 cm, arbuscular, branched repeated, erect to erect-ascending. Stipe abruptly rounded at base and there minutely hispid, beige but not white, discrete, 5-20 x 3-6 mm, usually flattened somewhat, fibrous to fibrous-fleshy. Major branches 2¬4, ascending, terete to slightly flattened, neutral brown ("buffybrown') but easily watersoaked and then dark brown; internodes diminishing gradually and irregularly;, axils narrowly rounded; hymenium unilateral, the fertile areas smooth, somewhat watery in appearance, the sterile areas decurrent from axils and rust-colour (from spores) and appearing furfuraceous. Branching polychotomous below, dichotomous above. Apices about 2 mm thick, rounded-digitate to slightly inflated, pale (cream or beige) when young, becoming "verona-brown" when mature; all parts bruising to chocolate brown, then slowly to blackish brown. Odour weakly spicy, aromatic; taste very weak, hardly bitter.

Under podocarps.

Macrochemical reactions: FCL = greenish black; PHN, ANO = black; NOH = leaches pink; KOH = leaches dull yellow; GUA, PYR = negative. Tramal hyphae of branches 2.5 - 10 gm diam., clamped, hyaline, somewhat thick-walled (wall up to 0.4 gm thick), generally parallel. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia 50-75 x 5-10 gm, clavate, clamped, persistent after spore discharge; sterigmata 4. Spores (Fig. 98) 8.3-10.8 x 6.5 -7.9 gm (E =1.21-1.50; E'" =1.36; L' = 9.62 gym), broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, somewhat flattened adaxially, rust-colour in prints; wall up to 1.5 p m thick; ornamentation of ridges or cog¬like wings and rounded spines up to 3 gm long; hilar appendix broad, gradual.

Here is another example of an inappropriate name based on perceived geographic distribution. Having seen no material from the Pacific, I prematurely coined the name Ramaria pancaribbea (Petersen 1981; p.88). The specimens cited below agree with the circumscription of that species in the following ways: (i) very similar fruit body stature and colour: (ii) 4-sterigmate basidia; (iii) distinct bruising reactions; (iv) thick-walled spores ornamented like cog-like plates rather than spines. No evidence of blue or green colouration was observed, so the new form would seem to be more similar to the typical form, not to f. caerulea.

From both previously described forms, f. zealandica differs as follows: (i) negative macro¬chemical reactions with GUA and PYR, and (ii) bruising reactions to chocolate-brown and blackish brown instead of to brick-red and red-brown. Ramaria sikkimia: Rattan & Khurana (cf. Petersen 1981) produces similar spores which are somewhat smaller, but it is obvious that the two species are very similar. Petersen (1981) gave spore statistics as follows: Ramaria pancaribbea: 8.1-12 x 6.3 - 8.3 gm (E =1.15¬1.69; E°' =1.35; L'^ = 9.16 gm).

Fruit bodies up to 4 cm high, up to 3 cm broad, repeatedly branched, arbuscular, arising from tangles of slender, white, fragile rhizomorphic strands. Stipe up to 20 x 4 mm, channelled to grooved, white below, when young concolourous with branches, in age darkening to brown colours ("tawny-olive", "Verona-brown"). Branches curved-ascending to strict, up to 2 mm thick, flattened, tan to fleshy tan ("cinnamon buff', "clay-color", "buckthorn-brown", "tawny-olive"); hymenium unilateral; axils narrowly to openly rounded or lunate; internodes diminishing gradually. Apices elongate, acute, pale creamy beige ("cream-buff", "light buff", "warm buff", "pale ochraceous buff"). Stipe and lower branches appearing watersoaked, especially when bruised, easily changing colour to watery brown. Odour fresh, perhaps of pipe tobacco; taste bitter. Sections of branches in 2% KOH leaching pinkish pigment briefly, then leaching yellow-brown. Macrochemical reactions: NOH, KOH = leaching peach to coral-coloured briefly, then yellow-brown; FCL = green-black; PHN, GUA = negative; ANO = ambiguous; PYR = positive.

Tramal hyphae of branches 3.5-8 gm diam., clamped, parallel, hyaline, free, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.2 gm thick). Basidia 25-30 x 5-6 I.m, clavate, clamped, yellowish under phase contrast; sterigmata 4, spindly, erect. Spores (Fig. 99) 7.6-8.6 x 4-4.3 gm (E =1.83-2.19; E'" = 2.03; L'° = 8.24 gm),.curved teardrop-shaped, roughened;' contents homogeneous to obscurely refringent; wall up to 0.2 gm thick; hilar appendix curved, not prominent, appearing as extension of spore body; ornamentation of narrow, blunt spines up to 2 gm long, scattered all over spore surface.

This is difficult to distinguish from Ramaria ambigua, which shares general stature, rich ochre colouration and snow-white base and rhizomorphs. The two are easily separated on spore shape, which also separates them from both R. ochracea and its variety sicco-olivacea. Most characters match the Ramaria flaccida complex, with unilateral hymenium and teardrop-shaped spores of appropriate size. Of these taxa, R. perfluo-punicea produces the longest spores (but by only less than 1 gm). Even the watersoaked appearance of the fruit bodies matches the same character in R. flaccida (Fr.) Rick. Indeed, the two taxa are virtually indistinguishable (at least from dried material and the fresh material I have seen from Scandinavia and New Zealand). I keep them separate until more material can be seen.

Corner (1970) considered Ramaria flaccida (Fr.) Bourd. almost cosmopolitan, but Petersen (1981) used narrower taxonomic concepts, restricting R. flaccida to a fungus seen only from the North Temperate Zone. I have seen no specimens from the tropics which exactly match R. flaccida. Although there is always a possibility that R. flaccida was introduced to New Zealand as the mycorrhizal symbiont of some higher plant, I prefer to keep the taxon separate at present.

The specific epithet denotes the leaching of pink pigment by branch sections into dilute KOH solution. Under the same conditions, Ramaria ochracea var. sicco-olivacea leaches sordid yellow pigment after only a few seconds.

TENN no. 43870 represents an unusual growth form in which the branches are flattened and palmately broad, with branchlets arising as talon-shaped spurs (sometimes rebranched) from the periphery of the flattened branches. Colour and micromorphological characters are typical of the species, however, so I have elected not to segregate the fruit body type, although it seems unique.

Fruit bodies up to 8 x 5 cm, branched, obovate in profile. Stipe single, stout but not massive, smooth, with no aborted branchlets, off-white where protected, rounded at base, tapering downward; flesh solid, off-white, drying more or less friable. Major branches 2, stout, up to 15 x 10 mm, terete or grooved in cross-section, pallid beige to dull greyish yellow; flesh white; secondary branches similar; axils narrowly rounded; internodes diminishing gradually. Uppermost branches (just below apices) suffused with dull lavender, dull violaceous or avellaneous colours. Apices molar-like, blunt, rather abruptly purplish or flesh brown; bruises appearing pale brunnescent. Odour and taste negligible.

Macrochemical reactions: KOH = pale yellow; NOH = negative; IKI = negative.

Tramal hyphae of branches 3-8 gm diam., clamped, hyaline, free, more or less parallel. Hymenium thickening; basidia 70-85 x 7-10 gym, clavate, moderately cyanophilous, clamped.

Spores 9.7-11.9 x 4.7-5.8 gm (E =1.93-2.38; E°' = 2.15; L^' = 11.06 gm), ellipsoid, with suprahilar depression, obscurely roughened; contents sometimes obscurely 1-2 guttulate; wall less than 0.2 gm thick; ornamentation of longitudinal or diagonal (abaxial-distal to adaxial-proximal), moderately cyanophilous striae.

Receptacula ad 80 x 50 mm, ramosa, in circumscriptione obovata. Stipite indivisibili, lato, laevi, pallide cmmeo, deorsum contracto; caro solida, pallide cremea, in IKI immutabili; ramis et ramulis latis, sordide pallide flavis; apidbus cuspidatis purpurascentibus ad incamato-brunneis; odore et sapore nullo. Hyphis fibulatis; basidiis 70-85 Km longis, fibulatis. Sporis 9.7-11.9 x 4.7-5.8 Pm, ellipsoideis, ornatis, striatis, ut in oratione infra.

The striate-spored taxa of Ramaria will prove as confusing in New Zealand and Australia as they have in western North America (cf. Marr & Stuntz 1973). The taxon described here bears the colouration of Ramaria strasseri (Bresadola) Corner, but fruit bodies of that European taxon show more massive stipes, and spore dimensions are uniformly larger (14.4 -17.8 x 5.9¬7.4 gm from the lectotype at Stockholm). Apparently, no red-staining colouration was observed on the fruit bodies of R. purpureopallida, a distinctive feature of R. holorubella (Atk.) Corner and other similar taxa. All descriptions above of fruit body characters have been taken from notes and photographs by Egon Horak. I have described the micro-morphological characters from dried material. The outline of spore ornamentation is irregular and is too roughened to be typical of the striate-spored group. Although so, I judge it to be striate and, with fruit body morphology being rather typical of the subgenus, I have little hesitation in placing the species.

Fruit bodies up to 7 x 6 cm, branched repeatedly, ellipsoid to obtriangular in profile. Stipe single, up to 4 x 3.5 cm, fleshy, somewhat rooting, tapering downward to a rounded base, involving some substrate only at the very base, white where protected, upward fleshy with a delicate lavender-pink tint unlike the colour of branches; flesh white, gelatinising inward into a watery-gelatinous mass. Major branches several, up to 10 mm thick, arising more or less simultaneously from the stipe apex, producing secondary branches and small groups of aborted branchlets; all branches pallid pink-salmon, appearing somewhat watery; flesh gelatinous inward, or often hollow through gelatinisation, more intensely orange than hymenium; internodes diminishing abruptly; axils rounded. Apices irregular, dichotomous to claw-like, short, awl-shaped, extremely pale pink-salmon so as to appear off-white. Odour none; taste not recorded.

Tramal hyphae of branches 3-8 Am diam., clampless; in centre of flesh gelatinising into short amorphous hyphal fragments, outwardly adherent, tightly packed, parallel, hyaline. Hymenium thickening; basidia 50-60 x 8-10 Am, clavate, clampless, golden under phase contrast; sterigmata 4, straight, slender.

Spores (Fig. 107) 6.8-7.5 x 4.7-5.8 Am (E =1.25-1.54; E°' = 1.40; L'" = 7.13 gym), broadly ellipsoid, flattened adaxially, obscurely roughened; wall less than 0.2 Am thick; contents uniguttulate to obscurely sludgy; hilar appendix gradual, hardly papillate; ornamentation of many small, scattered, obscurely cyanophilous patches.

Receptacula ad 70 x 60 mm, ramosiora, in circumscriptione ellipsoidea ad obtriangularia. Stipite indivisibih, ad 40 x 35 mm, deorsum contracto, sursum pallide incarnato-violaceo; caro tarde gelatinosa; ramis et ramulis incarnato-salmoneis; apidbus irregularibus, pallidissime incarnato-salmoneis; odore nullo.

Hyphis efibulatis, non inflatis, tarde gelatinosis; basidiis 50-60 Fun longis, efibulatis; sterigmatibus 4. Sporis 6.8-7.5 Fun longis, late ellipsoideis, E^' = 1.4 Fun, ornatis, ut in oratione infra.

Ramaria rotundispora shows several similarities to R. gelatinosa (Coker) Corner from eastern North America. Both produce largish fruit bodies with pinkish salmon branches and gelatinous flesh. The resemblance stops here, however, for the hyphae of R. gelatinosa are clamped, and its spore morphology is very different (9.6-10.4 x 5.2 pm; E^' =1.77, L°' =9.9 Am from the type, cf. Petersen 1982).

This taxon is described here from three dried specimens and good photographs by Horak. This would seem too paltry for such a proposal, but in Ramaria such rotund spores are rarely seen. A small group of taxa, including R..lorithamnus (see also under that name), show them, with the consociation characterised by clampless hyphae, fasciculate stipes and very sparse branching. The latter two characters certainly are not shared by R. rotundispora.

The blush of lavender-pink on the upper stipe is also unique, although such tints are found in another consociation, namely in Ramaria bataillei (Maire) Corner (Petersen 1979).

Fruit bodies up to 8 x 5 cm, repeatedly branched, obovate in profile; stipe single, often branched near base and appressed so as to appear fasciculate, fleshy, white where protected and there pruinose, the plush easily rubbed off to appear weakly water-soaked, involving insignificant amounts of substrate when picked. Major branches several, arising irregularly but at about the same level, up to 6 mm thick, more or less terete, usually somewhat grooved, erect, delicate fleshy pink when young ("flesh colour') becoming muted to salmon shades ("salmon colour", "light vinaceous cinnamon"); axils rounded to narrowly rounded; internodes elongating during fruit body ontogeny. Apices double-dichotomous to cuspidate, bright yellow ("light orange-yellow") when young, fading to yellow ("buff-yellow"). Flesh of branches orange-yellow upward ("capucine-orange"), stuffed to almost hollow upward, solid downward, white. Stipe surface weakly brunnescent to hygrophanous; apices slowly weakly vinescent when bruised. Odour weakly fragrant; taste weakly bitter.

Macrochemical reactions: NOH, KOH = carrot orange; FCL = quickly forest-green; PYR, PHN, ANO, GUA, IKI = negative.

Tramal hyphae of branches 5-12 Am diam., thin-walled, clampless, free outward, adherent inward, hyaline, parallel; ampulliform septa occasional, up to 12 Am broad, slightly thick-walled (wall up to 0.4 Am thick), unornamented. Hymenium thickening; basidia 90-95 x 12-16 Am, clavate to inflated apically, clampless, moderately cyanophilous; contents with scattered, large refringent guttules; sterigmata 4, up to 10 Am long, curved-erect.

Spores (Fig. 108) 10.1-13.3 x 5.0-6.5 gm (E = 1.83¬2.21; E'^ = 2.04; L'^ = 11.86 gm), ellipsoid to elongate-ellipsoid, subtly roughened; contents uni- to several-guttulate; wall thin to slightly thick (wall up to 0.2 gm thick); hilar appendix papillate, small; ornamentation of narrow ridges and low warts generally oriented longitudinally from abaxial-distal to adaxial-proximal.

Receptacula ad 80 x 50 mm, ramosiora, in circumscriptione obovata. Stipite indivisibili, strictim fasciculato, albo, pruinoso. Ramis et ramulis pallide incarnatis ad pallide salmoneis; apicibus cuspidatis, bidichotomis, flavis junioribus, vetustioribus pallide flavis; ubi contusis aquoso-brunnescentibus; contusis in apicibus leniter vinascentibus. Odore leniter aromatico; sapore leniter amaro.

Hyphis efibulatis, non inflatis; basidiis 90-95 ~tm longis, clavatis, efibulatis; sterigmatibus 4. Sporis 10.1-13.3 x 5-6.5 pin, ellipsoideis ad elongato-ellipsoideis, ornatis, ut in oratione infra.

Fruit bodies up to 9 x 4 cm, repeatedly branched, usually with discrete stipe, arising from stout white, tough rhizomorphs and often extensive submembranous, separable, white resupinate patches. Stipe portion up to 2.5 cm x 3-5 mm, usually distinct, but sometimes so short as to be considered absent, pale beige to off-white below, seldom terete, usually grooved or channelled, especially upward and there concolourous to branches ("cinnamon-buff").

Branches in 3-5 ranks, ascending, substrict to lax and curved-ascending, flattened, more or less uniformly beige to buffy tan all over ("light ochraceous", 'light ochraceous buff", "pinkish buff"); axils openly to narrowly rounded; internodes diminishing gradually. Apices usually prolonged-acute, slightly paler than branches ("pale ochraceous buff", "cartridge-buff", "pale cinnamon-pink"); hymenium amphigenous except occasionally from axils as a sterile line. Stipe and branches bruising slowly to brown ("cacao-brown", "tawny"); rhizomorphs in 2% KOH slowly sordid brown. Taste bitter; odour mildly of anise to negligible.

Macrochemical reactions: PYR = capricious; GUA, ANO = positive; FCL = green-black; PHN = ambi-guous; KOH = negative (rhizomorphs brown); NOH = bruises already brunnescent turn bright purple-rose. Rhizomorphs and resupinate patch monomitic; hyphae 2-5 p.m diam., thin-walled to thick-walled (wall up to 1 p.m thick), long-celled, clamped, hyaline, involving considerable crystalline material in slenderest rhizomorphs; ampulliform clamps common, up to 10 gm broad, not especially thick-walled, unornamented. Tramal hyphae of branches skeletalised generatives, 3-7 gm diam., hyaline, clamped, thick-walled. Basidia 40-55 x 6-7.5 gm, clavate, pale yellow in squash mounts, clamped; contents subrefringent when mature; sterigmata 4, spindly, long, straight, not divergent.

Spores (Fig. 112) 6.5-10.4 x 3.6-4.3 gm (E =1.80-2.45; E'^ =Spores L°' = 8.71 gm), teardrop-shaped to ellipsoid, conspicuously roughened; contents sludgy to biguttulate when mature, the guttules refringent under phase contrast; wall up to 0.2 gm thick; hilar appendix gradual, curved, stout, leaving no throat; ornamentation of ill-defined, cyanophilous raised patches.

Receptacula ad 90x 40mm, ramosiora, in ligno. Rhizomorphis latis, tenacibus, albis, submembranaceis, in KOH tarde brunnescentibus; stipite ad 25 x 5 mm, pallide alutaceo, ramis et ramulis alutaceis ad cinnamomeo-alutaceis; apicibus longis, alutaceis ad pallide alutaceis; ubi contusis tarde brunnescentibus; odore miti; sapore amaro.

Hyphis monomiticis; in ramis fibulatis, non inflatis, crassitunicatis; basidiis 40-55 am longis, fibulatis; sterigmatibus 4. Sports 6.5-10.4 N.m longis, lacrymiformibus ad ellipsoideis, omatis, ut in oratione infra.

Care must be taken to separate this from Ramaria polypus. The almost uniformly skeletalised generative hyphae of all parts are similar to those of R. flavula (Atk.) Pet., known only from its type specimen.

Spore dimensions would appear to be about average for subg. Lentoramaria, but the spores are oddly shaped, with the hilar appendix not clearly distinct from the spore itself.

Fruit bodies up to 2 cm high, up to 1 cm broad, very slender and extremely delicate, branched in 1-3 ranks. All parts ivory-coloured ("light buff', "cartridge¬buff"). Stipe pale pinkish yellow to dull yellow ("warm buff") at base, arising from extremely small whitish mycelial patches on substrate. Branches dichotomous, much less than 1 mm thick; axils rounded to lunate. Apices prolonged, lyre-shaped, awl-shaped.

Tramal hyphae of branches uninflated, hyaline, clamped, parallel, agglutinated. Subhymenium pseudoparenchymatous, agglutinated. Hymenium thickening somewhat; basidia 18-25 x 5-6 gm, subcylindrical, clamped, adherent; sterigmata 4, long, straight, divergent, crowded.

Spores 2.7-3.6 x 2.2 gm, ellipsoid, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline; contents uniguttulate when mature; hilar appendix small, papillate.

On soil with algae and/or moss protonemata.

Fruit bodies up to 3.0 x 1.2 cm, branched, arbuscular, arising from small white mycelial patches. Stipe up to 12 x 3 mm, discrete, white or whitish ("pale pinkish cinnamon") at base and there villous, upward tan. Branches dichotomous, terete, arising rather abruptly, tan to pallid tan ("light ochraceous buff") when young, fleshy tan, ("cinnamon-buff", "tawny olive", "clay-color", "pinkish buff", "sayal-brown") when mature; axils rounded; internodes all short, diminishing gradually. Apices awl-shaped, slender, somewhat paler tan ("light ochraceous buff") than branches. Taste and odour negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL on hymenium very pale grey to slate-olive.

Tramal hyphae of branches hardly inflated, hyaline to yellowish in mass, clamped, parallel, free. Subhymenium rudimentary, of tortuous, uninflated hyphae. Hymenium thickening; basidia 35-60 x 7-8 gm, clavate, attenuate downward, clamped, hyaline; contents homogeneous to finally guttulate, with scattered refringent guttules; sterigmata 4, stout, up to 8 gm long, curved-ascending. Basidioles abundant, appearing as leptocystidia or paraphyses. Sclerified basidia occasional (cf. TENN no. 43470).

Spores 5.8-6.8 x 5.0-6.1 gm (E _ 1.00-1.21; E°' = 1.13; L°' = 6.19 gm), globose to very broadly ovate, smooth, non-reactive in IKI, thin-walled, hyaline; contents opalescent; hilar appendix prominent, conical, up to 1.5 gm long.

This taxon is very similar to others in the Ramariopsis corniculata complex, of which Clavaria pallidorosea Fawc. and R. alcicornis (Zoll. & Mor.) Pet. are Pacific representatives. Another taxon, with light brownish orange fruit bodies, as yet unpublished, fruits in the Himalayas (specimen: PAN no. 22270).

Spores are typical of the group - virtually globose, with prominent hilar appendix, and non-reactive in IKI. The positive FCL reaction is typical of the Comphaceae, in which I consider the complex to be best placed.

Collection TENN no. 43466 is identical micromorphologically, and in stature, but paler (branches and tips "pale pinkish cinnamon" to "pale ochraceous buff"; downward "light ochraceous buff"), and with a bitter taste. It cannot currently qualify as a separate taxon.

Fruit bodies up to 3.5 cm high, up to 2.5 mm thick, fusiform.simple clubs, gregarious, arising from small, white, mycelial patches. Club fusiform, tapering upward somewhat, olive ("buffy citrine") to yellowish olive ("chaetura-drab"., "orange-citrine", "citrine¬drab", "citrine", "light brownish olive", "deep olive"), opaque; apex rounded, often green ("olive-green", "diamine-green") to concolourous with club ("serpentine-green"), in age fading to "raw-sienna"; flesh whitish to yellow. Stipe tapering downward somewhat, pale green when young ("sea-foam green"), then yellowish ("cream-buff", "colonial-buff"), bright greenish yellow ("old gold", "primuline-yellow"), and finally golden yellow ("ferruginous", "cadmium-yellow", "light orange-yellow"), or dull orange ("Mars-yellow", "xanthine-orange"), subglabrous. Taste and odour unrecorded.

Macrochemical reactions: FCL on hymenium causes loss of olive colour to yellow; tissue in 2% KOH solution turns bright golden yellow.

Tramal hyphae up to 12 p.m diam., not significantly inflated, thin-walled, clamped, hyaline, parallel, free. Subhymenium poorly developed. Hymenium thickening; basidia 60-70 x 7-8 gm, attenuate-clavate, clamped; contents multiguttulate when mature; sterigmata 4, stout, straight, divergent.

Spores (Fig. 117) 5.4-6.5 x 3.6-5.0 gm (E =1.07-1.64; E'° =1.40; L'" = 5.96 gm), ovate to subglobose, flattened adaxially, white in prints, smooth, thin-walled; contents opalescent to uniguttulate when mature; hilar appendix stout, up to 2 gm long, conical.

Except for fruit body colour, this is virtually identical to Ramariopsis depokensis (van Over.) Pet., on which I have reported previously (Petersen 1979,1980). I have been tempted, therefore, to describe it as a variety of that species, especially because R. depokensis ranges throughout the Pacific to Tierra del Fuego (Petersen, unpublished data). Conversely, R. laeticolor (Berk.) Pet. differs from R. depokensis only in spore dimensions, and if all three are taken together, one might conclude that a species complex could be delineated. I think it best, therefore, to propose a new species epithet for this olive form, limited as it seems to New Zealand.

The nature of pigmentation in Ramariopsis is not known, but the colour changes from olive to yellow in FCL and dilute KOH should give some clue.

Fruit bodies up to 2.5 x.1 cm, slender, delicate, branched, arbuscular, arising from very small whitish mycelial patches. Stipe up to 17 x 1.5 mm, clear golden yellow ('light orange-yellow") when young, slowly hysterochroic to fleshy tan ("light ochraceous salmon", "ochraceous salmon"), cinnamon or rich cinnamon ("vinaceous cinnamon", "vinaceous rufous") from the base upward, eventually overtaking the branches so that in mature fruit bodies only the apices remain yellow. Branches concolourous with stipe, finally hysterochroic, in 2-3 ranks, less than 1 mm thick; axils rounded; intemodes diminishing gradually. Apices clear yellow ("maize-yellow", "baryta-yellow"). Taste and odour negligible. Macrochemical reaction: FCL on hymenium obscurely purplish slate.

Tramal hyphae of branches hyaline, turning darkin mass in 2% KOH, conspicuously clamped, hardly inflated, thin- to thick-walled (wall up to 0.4 gm thick, refringent), parallel, sinuous. Subhymenium of tortuous, inflated, thin- to thick-walled cells inward, outward to short candelabrum cells perpendicular to trama. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia 22-27 x 5-6 gm, hyaline, clamped, free; sterigmata 4, spindly, divergent.

Spores 2.5-3.2 x 2.2-2.9 p m (E =1.00-1.29; E"' =1.16; L°' = 2.74 gym), globose to subglobose, smooth, thin-walled, weakly dextrinoid; contents uniguttulate; hilar appendix papillate.

The thickened hymenium appears very linear and perpendicular to the trama, as a distinct palisade layer, as described by Corner (1971) for Ramariopsis novahibernica.When only adult fruit bodies are available it is often difficult to distinguish hysterochroic fruit bodies from those pigmented at all stages of growth. In this instance it would appear that colour is present at all stages of fruit body expansion, but that young fruit bodies may be yellow, then turning the rich cinnamon colour of adults. The name is derived from the difference in colour of apices and lower parts.If observed in very strong light against the crushed hymenium, young spores seem very weakly amyloid, whereas mature spores can be seen as weakly dextrinoid.

Fruit bodies dry to a delicate avellaneous colour, with large portions of fruit body white. This is disconcerting when only dry material is available for identification.

Specimen TENN no. 42424 showed a rich cinnamon ("vinaceous rufous") stipe base when immature, unlike other collections where the stipe base showed such colours slowly. Conversely, TENN no. 42458 was weakly pigmented ("ivory-yellow" apices, "pinkish cinnamon" base). Ramariopsis bicolor is rather similar to Clavulinopsis fruticula Corner (1950; p. 366-367). The latter is white when young, hysterochroic through pale ochraceous to brownish ochraceous from the base, and bears spores 4-5 x 2.5-3.5 gm, according to Corner.

Fruit bodies up to 30 x 10 mm, branched, very slender, arising from small white mycelial pads. Stipe up to 14 x 1 mm, discrete, off-white when young, slowly becoming cream colour ("cream buff') or pallid tan ("tawny") from the base, and eventually these colours suffuse upward through the branches. Branches dichotomous throughout, less than 1 mm thick, erect to ascending, off-white to ivory coloured ("cream-colour", "pale ochraceous salmon"); axils rounded. Apices off-white, remaining so, awl-shaped. Odour and taste negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = grey to slate-green. Tramal hyphae of branches hardly inflated, 3-8 gm diam., hyaline clamped, thin-walled, free. Subhymenium extensive, pseudoparenchymatous. Hymenium thickening; basidia 25-40 x 6-7 l.m, subcylindrical, clamped; contents homogeneous to multiguttulate at maturity; sterigmata 4, curved-ascending.

Spores 3.6-4.0 x 2.5-3.2 gm (E =1.22-1.57; E°' = 1.38; L°° = 3.77 um), ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, thin-walled, weakly dextrinoid; contents uniguttulate; hilar appendix prominent, conical.

Receptacula ad 30 x 10 mm, ramosa, tenuia; stipite et ramis cremeis; apicibus eburneis; hymenio in FCL cinereo-viridi. Hyphis fibulatis; basidiis 25-401tm longis. Sporis ellipsoideis, laevibus, hyalinis, leniter dextrinoideis, 3.6-4.0 x 2.5-3.2 gym.

This will be very difficult to distinguish from Ramariopsis minutula and R. aggludnata in the field, but the free tramal hyphae separate it from the latter, and larger spores from the former. Although fruit bodies dry to a sordid orange¬ochraceous colour, when a portion is placed in 2% KOH, a canary-yellow pigment leaches into the liquid, a phenomenon not shown bythe other two similar taxa. Spores of R. cremicolor are not strongly dextrinoid, but are as reactive as any in the genus. In some spores there may be a very weak amyloid reaction of the spore wall.

Fruit bodies up to 50 'x 4 mm, simple clubs, gregarious, not fasciculate, arising from small white mycelial pads, narrowly fusiform to narrowly cylindrical. Stipe base pastel yellow-orange ("capucine-buff"), upward apricot-salmon ("salmon¬orange"), terete, not tapering. Club somewhat brighter, to pastel pinkish orange ("light salmon-orange", "bittersweet-pink", "capucine-orange"), terete to subsulcate or longitudinally grooved. Apex rounded, tapering. Taste bitter; odour none.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = darkening, but not green.

Micromorphology as in typical form.

Fruit bodies up to 2.3 x 2 cm, repeatedly dichotomously branched, individual to cespitose or connate in small groups, lacking a basal patch or pad, apparently inserted nakedly. Stipe discrete to almost absent, "cream color" to bright clear golden yellow ("capucine-buff", "light ochraceous buff") to pale yellow ("cream-buff", "chamois"). Branches in 2-4 ranks, up to 3 mm thick, terete to flattened, clear yellow ('baryta-yellow", "cartridge-buff", "buff-yellow", "Naples-yellow", "maize-yellow", "apricot-yellow"); axils rounded, internodes diminishing gradually. Apices awl-shaped; short to long, often divergent, occasionally bluntly rounded, pale clear yellow ("pale orange-yellow"). Taste none to mildly bitter; odour negligible to penetrating, menthol-like.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = weak olive-green, or avellaneous grey.

Tramal hyphae of branches hardly inflated, thin-walled to somewhat thick-walled (wall up to 0.3 gm thick), hyaline, conspicuously clamped, parallel, free, often sinuous, weakly to strongly dextrinoid. Subhymenium at first hyphal, then pseudo-parenchymatous. Hymenium thickening significantly, old basidia persistent but crushed; basidia 28-33 x 6 gym, subcylindrical, hyaline, clamped; sterigmata 4, straight, slender, divergent. Sclerified basidia or cystidia (Fig. 119) 25-31 x 6-7 gm, clavate, distally rounded or with suggestions of sterigmata, highly refringent under phase contrast, apparently extremely thick-walled, the wall often filling the lumen.

Spores 4.3-4.7 x 2.9-3.6 gm (E =1.20-1.44; E- = 1.31; L- = 4.43 gm), ellipsoid to ellipsoid-ovate, thin-walled, smooth, weakly dextrinoid; contents opalescent to multiguttulate; hilar appendix papillate, small.

I can see no spore ornamentation at x2250 in bright field or phase contrast.The small hilar appendix would lead the casual observer to conclude that the taxon was a member of Clavaria subg. Clavulinopsis, but the positive FCL reaction leads to Ramariopsis. Furthermore, other taxa in Ramariopsis produce weakly dextrinoid spores. The cystidial structures are confusing, for they resemble sclerotic basidia, such as those found occasionally in Ramariopsis fusiformis (Sow.: Fr.) Pet., and R. corniculata (Pers.: Fr.) Pet. (Petersen 1971). They may be found only in thickened hymenia, however, and then in a single layer arising from the very inner subhymenium next to the tramal hyphae. Some are seen to be refringent, but here and there the thick wall is obvious. Were they gloeoplerous, then together with narrow tramal hyphae and positive IKI reaction with spores, one might be led to conjecture on some relationship with Clavicorona. I do not think this is so. TENN no. 42413 shows no sclerotic basidia, but the hymenium was also not significantly thickened. If sclerotic basidia are formed late, but deep in the subhymenium, juvenile specimens may be without them.

Most specimens have dried with pale opaque stipes and ruddy orange cartilaginous branches. They may be characteristic of the taxon.

Fruit bodies up to 45 x 13 mm, branched, slender, usually with long, slender stipe. Stipe up to 34 x 2 mm, terete to slightly flattened, arising from very small white basal pad, white below and there often delicately pruinose or minutely hoary with white mycelium ("cream-buff"), upward ivory to pale dull yellow ("cinnamon-buff"). Branches dichotomous, terete, up to 1.5 mm thick, pallid yellowish ("chamois", "cream-buff", "tawny olive"); axils rounded to lunate; internodes diminishing abruptly. Apices awl-shaped, minute, less than 1 mm long, sometimes paler than branches. Taste and odour negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = quickly olive-green.

Tramal hyphae of branches 2-8 gm diam., hyaline, clamped, parallel, tightly packed. Subhymenium extensive, pseudoparenchymatous. Hymenium thickening significantly; basidia 20-24 x 5 ltm, subcylindrical to subclavate, hyaline, clamped; contents homogeneous to multiguttulate when mature; sterigmata 4, very slender, spindly.

Spores 3.2-4.3 x 2.5-2.9 p m (E =1.25-1.57; E'" =1.42; L'" = 3.68 gm), ellipsoid to narrowly ovate, roughened, thin-walled, hyaline, very weakly dextrinoid; contents uniguttulate when mature; hilar appendix papillate; ornamentation of scattered prickles less than 1 gm long.

Young fruit bodies show very long stipes, with branches as an apical tuft. The branches elongate late and slowly, so apices remain very reduced.

Spore ornamentation is at the very edge of resolution of my microscope (x2250) and may be out of range at x1000. Consequently, the reader is cautioned to use the key in both directions (e.g., smooth v. rough spores).

Such a high E'° value is unusual for rough-spored Ramariopsis taxa.

Fruit bodies up to 80 x 7 mm, simple clubs, broadly fusiform, usually flattened and often sulcate, fasciculate in groups of up to 7 individuals, when young brilliant orange ("cadmium-orange"), fading slightly, egg-yolk yellow to golden yellow ("orange", "deep chrome") all over, with the stipe often somewhat brighter than club, fleshy, occasionally bifurcate apically, and then the branches divergent-ascending, cornute; flesh whitish inward, concolourous to hymenium outward. Stipe up to 4 mm thick, more or less terete, not well marked from club, arising from multiple primordium below substrate level. Taste and odour negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL = dingy slate-green. Tramal hyphae of club 2-8 Erin diam., hyaline, clamped, relatively uninflated, free, more or less parallel, loosely packed. Subhymenium rudimentary. Hymenium thickening; basidia 70-100 x 8-10 gm, narrowly clavate, stiff when developing, collapsing after spore discharge, clamped; contents obscurely refringent to multiguttulate at maturity; sterigmata 4, stout, divergent.

Spores 6.1-7.2 x 5.0-6.1 Erin (E =1.13-1.33; E'° =1.22; L'" = 6.73 gm), broadly ovate to subtriangular in profile, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline; contents obscurely refringent when mature; hilar appendixvery stout, up to 2 gm long, conical; nucleus 1.

Fruit bodies up to 5 cm high, up to 2 cm broad, arbuscular, branched in 2-4 ranks, erect, more or less strict. Stipe discrete, up to 20 x 4 mm, tapering downward, pallid pinkish tan ("pale pinkish cinnamon", "tilleul-buff") downward, in age "chamois" at base, upward concolourous with branches. Branches terete, dichotomous throughout, fleshy brown to red-brown ("cacao-brown", "mikado-brown", "cameo-brown", "walnut brown", "fawn-color", to "pecan-browd'); axils rounded; internodes diminishing gradually. Apices awl-shaped, short, up to 5 mm long, concolourous with branches or redder ("ochre-red"). Odour and taste negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL on hymenium negative.

Tramal hyphae of branches hardly inflated, free, hyaline, clamped, parallel. Subhymenium extensive, of tortuous, short-celled, uninflated, clamped hyphae. Hymenium hardly thickening; basidia 30-40 x 7 gym, clavate, clamped, hyaline to homogeneous in content, free; sterigmata 4, prominent, curved-divergent.

Spores (Figs 130,142) 3.6-4.7 x 3.2-3.6 gm (E =1.11¬1.33; E'° =1.25; L-= 4.25 gm), ovate to ellipsoid, grossly spiny, inamyloid; wall thin; contents usually uniguttulate, the guttule yellowish and refringent; ornamentation of narrowly conical spines up to 1.3 gm long, densely scattered over whole spore surface; hilar appendix prominent, up to 1 gm long.

COMMENTARY: From macromorphological characters, I concluded that this was a Ramaria, and even the spores resemble those of small-spored members of subg. Echinoramaria except for a pure-white spore print. Microscopically, however, it is clear that it is a Ramariopsis, with characteristically small basidia, parallel tramal hyphae, and prominent hilar appendix. The spores are more grossly ornamented than those of any other Ramariopsis I have seen.

Corner (1970; p. 83) cites similar specimens by Warcup from New Zealand under Ramariopsis kunzei (Fr.) Corner, but fruit body colour is wrong for that taxon.

Fruit bodies up to 7 cm high, up to 4 mm thick, simple clubs, gregarious to subcespitose in small groups (up to 4 individuals). Stipe expanded slightly at base, white below and with a thin covering of appressed white mycelium, equal above, yellow to yellow-orange to ochraceous yellow ('buff yellow"). Club distinct from stipe, expanded somewhat, and then laterally compressed, bright yellow-gold ("apricot-yellow", "light cadmium", "orange-buff", "light orange-yellow"). Apex rounded, often slightly paler than club. Water-soaked fruit bodies fading to pallid ochraceous yellow to yellow-tan. Odour and taste negligible.

Macrochemical reaction: FCL on hymenium negative.

Tramal hyphae nearly uninflated, parallel, clamped. Basidia 75-85 x 7.5-8.5 gm, attenuate-clavate, clamped, uniformly refringent.

Spores 5.9-7.0 x 5.2-6.3 Erin (E =1.00-1.14; E'° =1.10; L'" = 6.5 gm) globose to subglobose, uniguttulate, smooth; hilar appendix prominent, up to 1.5 Erin long, conical.

Petersen (1979) treated this species under the name Ramariopsis corniculata var. simplex (Donk) Pet. (-Clavaria corniculata f. simplex Donk, Mededeel. Bot. Mus. Utrecht 9:88,1933). At that time I had not examined the type specimen of Donk's taxon, nor had a type been formally designated. Accordingly, I propose the following lectotype specimen: The Netherlands, Valkenburg, Limbourg, x.1900, coll. J. Rick (as Clavaria muscoides), s.n. (L). Examination of that specimen reveals: (i) fruit bodies are branched, although the branches are long and tendril-like, unlike the shorter, more arbuscular form typical of R. corniculata; and (ii) microstructure, including spores, is identical with that of typical R. corniculata. I have concluded that the specimen represents a somewhat aberrant fruit body expression, but well within my concept of the typical form of the species. After disposing of this name, the Pacific fungus remained nameless. Because the epithet simplex is available in Ramariopsis, and is eminently fitting for this species, I have chosen to use it here. In the field, it may be mistaken for Clavaria amoena (elongate spores), Ramariopsis depokensis (ovoid spores, golden-orange fruit bodies), or Clavaria phoenicea in its yellow state (weakly apiculate spores, pastel colours).

Fruit bodies up to 4 x 4 cm, much-branched, white all over when young, slowly creamy ('light vinaceous buff') upward. Stipe (when discrete) short, white, smooth, flattened, lobed to lacunose in cross section, but usually obscure, with branching occurring from the base. Major branches several, flattened, occasionally reticulate, rebranching in 3-5 ranks. Branches flattened, irregular to sympodial; internodes irregular, hardly diminishing; axils rounded. Apices cristate when young, flattened-digitate in age. Flesh of lower and middle portions white when fresh, cartilaginous and pliable when dry. Odour of sweet chloride of lime; taste negligible.

Surface hyphae of lower parts 1.5-3.5 µm diam., thin-walled, gnarled, clamped, free, loosely interwoven. Tramal hyphae of lower and middle parts identical, with granular interhyphal material and strictly parallel orientation; gloeoplerous hyphae undifferentiated, occurring as indeterminate lengths of refringent hyphae, occasional. Subhymenium not extensive; hyphae 1.5-2 µm diam., thin-walled, clamped, strictly parallel. Hymenium thickening; basidia 20-30 x 55 µm, subcylindrical to narrowly clavate, clamped, hyaline; contents minutely granular; sterigmata 4, up to 4 um long, spindly. Spores about 4.5-5.2 x 3.4-3.8 µm, nodulose-lobed, with lobes often cuspidate; contents usually uniguttulate; hilar appendix conical, not prominent.

Use of Comers's (1970; p.87) key leads the reader to Scytinopogon dealbatus (Berk.) Corner, but examination of the type of that epithet shows its spores to be ellipsoid and echinulate, rather than angular-noduloseas described by Corner. I accept (Petersen 1984) Clavaria dealbata as a species of Ramariopsis, not very dissimilar to R. kunzei.

According to Corner (1970), both Scytinopogon robustus (Rick) Corner and S. echinosporus (Berk. & Br.) Corner show inflation of tramal hyphae. I have examined the type of some synonymous epithets under S. echinosporus (specifically those of Clavaria implexa Lév. and C. umbrina Lév.) and find their spores to be ellipsoid and ornamented with molar-shaped warts, but not nearly as irregular in shape as those of the collection cited below.

Finally, the type specimen of Clavaria (Scytinopogon) angulispora Pat. represents a Clavulina (probably Clavulina connata Corner), so the epithet angulispora must be removed from Scytinopogon. I am left, therefore, with the name S. pallescens (Bres.) Corner, the type of the genus, which I use here only because Corner has listed it as synonymous with his concept (non vera) of S. angulispora. This is a poor reason, and the present collection may represent a new taxon.

Fruit bodies (Fig. 133) up to 3 mm high, up to 1 mm broad, broadly clavate from an equal stipe, consistently bent to one side, arising from minute white basal tomenta, white; flesh solid.

Stipe surface hyphae 3-13 gm diam., hyaline, inflated, thick-walled (wall up to 0.5 gm thick), producing caulocystidia; crystalline material copious on stipe surface. Caulocystidia (Fig. 134) up to 85 x 8 pm, narrowly lanceolate, hyaline, thick-walled below (wall up to 0.7 gm thick), thin-walled apically, tapering gradually upward, rooting somewhat, apically covered with minutely fibrillose material. Tramal hyphae 2-5 gm diam., hyaline, adherent, thin-walled, without clamp connections. Subhymenium rudimentary, crushed. Hymenium thickening; basidia (Fig. 135) about 40 x 8 gm, cylindrical, crumpled but persistent after spore discharge; contents homogeneous; sterigmata 2, up to 7 gm long, divergent, straight. Hymenial cystidia (Fig. 136) up to 200 x 15 gm, lanceolate, hyaline, brittle, thick-walled (wall usually obscuring cell lumen) throughout lower 7/8, thin-walled at apex, covered here and there by amorphous hyaline material, and with apex covered with minutely fibrillose material.

Spores (Fig. 137) 9-11.5 x 7.6-9.4 gm (E =1.18-1.38; E'° = 1.24; L, = 10.08 gm), broadly ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, thin-walled; contents homogeneous; hilar appendix papillate.

Fruit bodies seem to arise ageotropically, bending upward as they mature. Thus, they must qualify as clavarioid, for the hymenium is amphigenous. At the same time, only Dimorphocystis resembles this collection, but differs in the following ways: (i) Dimorphocystis taxa produce two distinctly different cystidial types, only one of which resembles the cystidia of this collection; (ii) hyphal construction in Dimorphocystis in dimitic, with skeletal hyphae, whereas in the collection below if is monomitic; and (iii) the spores of all three taxa of Dimorphocystis are of significantly higher Em value than those of the collection cited below.

For all these reasons, I feel sure that this single collection represents a new taxon, but at what rank? Given the characters of Dimorphocystis listed above; this collection surely represents a new genus. But I am reluctant to propose a new genus based on one collection of perhaps one half-dozen fruit bodies.

Concommitantly, if one were to compare this collection to Corner's circumscription of Dimorphocystis subcapitatus, the following similarities would be noted: (i) rather similar lanceolate hymenial