New Zealand: North Island. Levin. Ohau Riven 25.V. 1952, leg. Stevenson-Cone 847 (K, holotype).

On fallen rotting wood. New Zealand.

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.); Horak (1971: loc. cit.).

The two laterally stipitate or eccentric New Zealand species of Rhodocybe are readily distinguished by the shape and colour of the pileus and the presence or absence of pseudocystidia and clamp connections on cuticular hyphae. For more information about R. albovelutina see Horak (1971 a, p.407).

New Zealand: North Island, Wairoa Gorge, 26.IV. 1956, leg. Read in Stevenson-Cone (K, holotype). Wai-iti Domain. 19.V. 1956, leg. Stewart (K). South Island, Nelson, Murchison, Matakitaki, 27.1.1969, leg. Horak (ZT 69/29).

Among grass and under Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. and N. menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst. in forests. New Zealand.

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.).

Typus PDD 27143.

New Zealand: North Island. Coromandel Peninsula. Kauaeranga Valley; 8. VII. 1968. leg. Horak (PDD 27143. holotype; ZT 68/648, isotype). South Island S of Lake Hochstettero. 29.111.1968. leg. Horak (ZT 68/221).

Pileus up to 15 mm diam., circular when young soon becoming dimidiate, conchate, or reniform, margin incurved; whitish, grey, or pale grey-brown, not hygrophanous, margin not striate; radially fibrillose to woolly, dry, membranous, tough, veil remnants absent. Lamellae adnexed to broadly adnate, ventricose, crowded; grey to argillaceous, with distinct pink tint. edge concolorous, even. Stipe 3-8 X up to 1 mm, cylindric, equal, curved, eccentric or lateral; concolorous with pileus, densely covered with white longitudinal fibrils, white rhizoids at base (connecting the carpophores to the substrate); dry, solid, single in groups. Context grey. Odour and taste farinaceous or like cucumber. Spores 5-7 x 4-5 µm, ovoid, rugulose, rarely distinctly subangular, grey-pink (KOH), thin-walled. Basidia 24-30 X 5-7 µm, 4-spored. Pseudocystidia 45-70 x 4-7 µm, lanceolate or fusoid, membrane thin-walled, with yellow-brown, granular content. Cuticle a cutis of repent, cylindric hyphae (2 - 6 µm diam.), encrusted with grey-brown pigment. Clamp connections present, but scattered.

On rotten trunk of Cyathea dealbata (Forst. f.) Swartz or Nothofagus sp. New Zealand.

Pileo -15 mm. dimidiato vel conchiformi, convexo vel subdepresso, albidulo dein griseo vel pallide griseo-brunneo, tomentoso. Lamellis adnato-adnexis. griseo-argillaceis roseo tinctis. Stipite -8 x -1 mm. Cylindrico. Laterals, curvato. pileo concolori. Odore ingrato. Sporis 5-7 x 4-5 µm. ovatis, rugulosis. Pseudocystidiis -70 x -7 µm, lanceolato-fusoideis. Hyphis fibulatis. Ad truncos putridos, Novazelandia.

New Zealand: North Island, Mangatangi Gorge, Hunua Range, 26.IV. 1972. leg. Dingley (PDD 30259, holotype-, ZT 72/582, isotype).

Pileus 30-45 mm diam., convex to plane when young, margin incurved, becoming umbilicate to subinfundibuliform, margin irregularly undulate in mature specimens; ochraceous to umber, darker in center, not hygrophanous, margin estriate; tomentose to minutely velvety, dry, veil remnants absent. Lamellae decurrent to arcuate, crowded; argillaceous with distinct salmon-pink tint; edge concolorous, even. Stipe 30-40 x 5-6 mm, cylindric, central; concolorous with lamellae, base white from mycelium; smooth to minutely fibrillose, dry, solid, single in groups. Odour, taste, and chemical reactions unknown. Spore print pale brown with pink tint. Spores 4.5-5.5 x 3.5-4 µm, ovoid , rugulose to verrucose, pale pink in KOH, membrane thin-walled. Basidia 20-25 x 5-6 µm, 4-spored. Pseudocystidia 30-45 X 4-7 µm, subfusoid, apex rounded (not pointed), rather scattered, membrane hyaline, inclusions absent or inconspicuous. Cuticle a cutis of interwoven cylindric hyphae (3-6 µm diam.), encrusted with brownish pigment, membranes not gelatinised dermatocystidia absent. Clamp connections lacking.

On soil in forests (under Nothofagus spp., Leptospermum spp., Phyllocladus sp., etc.). New Zealand.

Pileo -45 mm, piano dien umbilicato, ochraceo vel glabro. Lamellis adnato-decurrentibus, salmoneis. Stipite -40 x -6 mm, cylindrico, centrico glabro. Sporis 4.5-5.5 x 3.5-4 µm, rugosis. Pseudocystidiis -45 x -7µm, subfusoideis. Ad terram in silvis Novazelandia

This species is dedicated to Miss Joan Dingley (DSIR, Plant Diseases Division, Auckland), a keen collector and attentive observer of New Zealand agarics, who on many occasions sent interesting material for study. Rhodocybe dingleyi is closely related to R. mustellina Horak (1979) described from Papua New Guinea.

Typus PDD 30259

New Zealand: South Island, Nelson, N of Pakawau. 15.V. 1968, leg. Horak (PDD 27142, holotype; ZT 68/451, isotype).

Pileus up to 20 mm diam., plane with strongly inrolled margin, soon depressed or umbilicate; fuscous to black-brown, often with distinct silvery shine, not hygrophanous, estriate; minutely velutinous or tomentose, dry, veil remnants absent. Lamellae decurrent to arcuate, densely crowded; grey-brown young, later becoming darker with porphyry tint; edge concolorous, even. Stipe 15-20 X 1-2 mm, cylindric, central but rarely also eccentric or lateral; concolorous with pileus, base with whitish mycelium; fibrillose, dry, solid, single in groups. Odour and taste slightly farinaceous. Chemical reactions unknown. Spore print pink. Spores 6-7.5 x 4.5-6 µm, ovoid, distinctly rugulose to subangular, pale pink in KOH, membrane thin-walled. Basidia 30-35 X 6-7 µm, 4-spored. Pseudocystidia 40-50 X 5-7 µm, scattered on lamellar edges and faces, lanceolate-fusoid, hyaline, membrane thin-walled, with brownish (KOH), granular inclusion. Cuticle a cutis of irregularly interwoven, cylindric hyphae (4 - 6 µm diam.), encrusted with brown pigment, membranes not gelatinised. Clamp connections absent.

On rotten trunk of Cyathea medullaris (Forst. f.) Swartz (tree fern). New Zealand.

Pileo -20 mm. umbilicato-depresso, fuligineo, minute velutino. Lamellis adnato-decurrentibus, griseo-brunneis vel porphyreis. Stipite -20 X -2 mm, cylindrico. pileo concolori, glabro, centrico vel sublaterali. Odore sub-farinaceo. Sporis 6-7.5 x 4.5-6 µm, ovatis, rugulosis vel subangulatis. Pseudocystidiis -50 x -7 µm. Acuto-fusoideis. Hyphis defibulatis. Ad truncum putridum Cyatheae medullaris. Novazelandia.

Macroscopically R. fuliginea can be mistaken for R. dingleyi since both taxa are similar in size and colour of the carpophores. However, in microscopic detail there can be no doubt about their taxonomic separation: the size of the spores and the shape of the conspicuous pseudocystidia in the two species differ greatly.

Typus PDD 27142.

New Zealand: South Island, West Coast, Hari Hari. W slope of Mt Wilberg; 15.11.1969, leg. Horak (PDD 27145. holotype; ZT 69/80, isotype). Nelson, N of Collingwood, Pakawau Creek; 7.V. 1968, leg. Horak (ZT 68/388).

Pileus 5-15 mm diam., hemispherical or convex when young, becoming broadly umbonate or campanulate, margin recurved in mature carpophores; pale brown to argillaceous with distinct pink tint, hygrophanous; dry, glabrous to minutely fibrillose or micaceous, membranous, margin striate when moist, veil remnants absent. Lamellae crowded (L 8-12, -3), emarginate to decurrent with short teeth; cinnamon or pale argillaceous, with pink shade in mature carpophores, edge concolorous, even. Stipe 15- 30 x up to 1 mm, cylindric, equal, central; concolorous with pileus, covered with paler, longitudinal fibrils, basal tomentum absent; dry, fistulose, single and fasciculate in groups. Context pale brown. Odour and taste farinaceous. Spores 6-9 x 5-6 µm, ellipsoid, rugulose, pale pink-brown (KOH), thin-walled. Basidia 30-36 x 7-8 µm, 4-spored, membranes occasionally thick-walled. Pseudocystidia absent. Cuticle a cutis of repent or interwoven, cylindric hyphae (2 -7 µm diam.), encrusted with brown pigment. Clamp connections absent.

On soil among rotting leaves and debris in forests (under Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.)Oerst., Schefflera sp., Fuchsia sp., Aristotelia sp., Weinmanna sp., Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb. New Zealand.

Pileo -15 mm. hemisphaerico dein convexo-campanulato, argillaceo dein cinnamomeo roseo tinctu. glabro. Lamellis emarginatis vel arcuatis, pileo concoloribus. Stipite -30 x -1 mm, cylindrico, pileo concolori. glabro. Sporis 6-9 x 5-6 µm, rugulosis. Pseudocystidiis nullis. Hyphis defibulatis. Odore farinaceo. Ad terram. Novazelandiae.

iti = small, in Maori.

New Zealand: South Island, Nelson, N of Collingwood, Pakawau Creek, 7.V. 1968, leg. Horak (PDD 27144, holotype; ZT 68/384. isotype).

Pileus 8-15 mm diam., hemispherical or convex when young becoming plano-convex with sub-depressed centre, margin incurved; dark brown, paler towards the striate margin; smooth, shiny, not zonate, dry, veil remnants absent. Lamellae crowded (L 12- 16, -3), broadly adnate or subdecurrent with short teeth; argillaceous-grey with distinct pink tint, edge concolorous, even. Stipe 10-20 x up to 1.5 mm, cylindric, equal, central; concolorous with pileus, covered with pale argillaceous longitudinal fibrils, base with white felt-like mycelium; dry, solid, single in groups. Context brown. Odour and taste rancid to farinaceous. Spores 7.5-10.5 x 5-6 µm, ellipsoid, distinctly rugulose, hyaline, thin-walled. Basidia 25-30 x 7-9 µm, 4-spored. Pseudocystidia and oleiferous hyphae in subhymenium absent. Clamp connections absent.

On soil and on rotting plant debris in forests (under Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst, Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb, Dracophyllum spp.). New Zealand.

Pileo -15 mm. convexo dein subdepresso-plano, umbrino, glabro. Lamellis late adnatis vel subdecurrenttibus, cinnamomeis roseo tinctis. Stipite -20 x -1.5 mm, cylindrico, centrico, pileo concolori, fibrilloso. Odore rancido. Sporis 7.5-10.5 X 5-6 µm, ellipsoideis. rugulosis. Pseudocystidiis nullis. Ad terram vel lignum putridum. Novazelandia.

Typus PDD 27144.

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.); Horak (1971: loc. cit.).

New Zealand: North Island. Wellington, Catchpole: 3.V. 1958, leg. Stevenson-Cone 1321 (K, holotype).

Only three New Zealand species of Rhodocybe (R. muritai, R. iti, R. maleolens) are known to have emarginate lamellae. These species are easily separated by the following macroscopic and microscopic characters: size and shape of the carpophores, presence or absence either of oleiferous vessels in the subcutis or of clamp connections on cuticular hyphae, and size of the spores. Furthermore, the lack of pseudocystidia is a distinctive feature of this group of New Zealand Rhodocybe

New Zealand: North Island, Wellington, al Garden. 2.VI. 1949. leg. Stevenson-Cone 617 (K. holotype).

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.); Horak (1971: loc. cit.).

The diameter of the plane or concave pilei of R. antipoda and R. piperita can reach 80 mm or even 130 mm in the latter species. In the field, it may be difficult to separate the two species since microscopically they are rather similar. However, they are readily distinguished through their spore measurements.