NEW ZEALAND: North Island: Wellington, Hutt Valley, Silverstream, 21. IV. 1956, leg. STEVENSON 1291 (K, holotype of Panellus atrofulvus STEV.). - South Island: Nelson, Kaihoka Reserve, 10. V. 1968, leg. HORAK (ZT, 68/415). Westland, Hari Hari, 15. II. 1969, leg. HORAK (ZT, 69/79).

Description of personal collections from New Zealand:

Pileus-20 mm, convex when young soon becoming plane or depressed, centre flat to subumbonate; dark red-brown with conspicuous yellow felty or velvety tomentum; dry, velvety to hairy, sometimes with low radially arranged veins at disc, membranous, tough, margin not striate. Lamellae (L 10-18, -3) crowded, broadly adnate to emarginate (decurrent with short tooth), ventricose; pale yellow turning yellow-brown, edge albofimbriate. Stipe-35 x -3 mm, cylindric or gradually enlarged into pileus, central; yellow-brown, with obvious orange tomentum over entire length; dry, entirely velvety to hairy, pruinose in upper portion, hollow, tough, single and cespitose, in groups. Context dark brown, gelatinous. Odour and taste acidulous or not distinctive. Spore print white.

Spores 7-10 x 4 -5 µm, elliptic, sometimes subcylindric to suballantoid, smooth, hyaline, amyloid, germ pore none. Basidia 25-40 x 5-7 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia-60 x-6 µm, conspicuously branched, with irregular, numerous rod-like projections, membranes thick-walled, hyaline or yellow-brown. Pleurocystidia none. Caulocystidia like cheilocystidia but larger, membrane brown (KOH). Cuticle a palisade of erect, fasciculate, cylindric or subfusoid terminal cells (pilocystidia), membranes thick-walled, apex rounded, rarely with antler-like projections, intermixed with clavate to subovate thick-walled, strongly refractive cells. Structure of subcutis like H. neovelutinus (HONGO). Clamp connections numerous.

On rotten wood in broad-leaved forest (dominated by Nothofagus sp., Weinmannia sp., Schefflera sp., Aristotelia sp. and Fuchsia sp.) or on soil (buried wood ?).-New Zealand.

STEVENSON (1964: 1. c.); HORAK (1971: 1. c.);

For discussion compare H. neovelutipes (HONGO).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Morobe District: Bulolo (1200 m), 20. XI. 1971, leg. HORAK (ZT, 71/172). - Bulolo, Manki (1450 m), 20. XI. 1971, leg. HORAK (ZT, 71/320). _ Madang, near Maiwara, in secondary rain forest, 5. X. 1969, leg. SHEPHERD (CANB, 227258).

Description of personal collections from Papua New Guinea:

Pileus-50 mm, convex, plane or concave with broad obtuse umbo, campanulate; yellow-brown at disc, yellow towards strongly striate margin; dry, smooth to granulose becoming minutely velvety, strongly hygrophanous. Lamellae (L 8-10, -3) rather distant emarginate, subdecurrent with tooth, ventricose, up to 10 mm wide, often intervenose; yellow, with reddish brown tint in mature specimens, edge concolorous, even. Stipe -40 x-4 mm, cylindric, equal, central; yellow-brown; dry, entirely pruinose to velvety, hollow, tough, veil remnants absent, single in groups. Context gelatinous. Odour and taste acidulous. Spore print white.

Spores 7-8 (9)  x  3.5-4 (5) µm, elliptic, smooth, hyaline, amyloid, thin-walled. Basidia 25-35 x 5-6 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 25 – 40 x 3-6 µm, branched with irregular, rod-like projections, membranes hyaline, thick-walled. Pleurocystidia none. Caulocystidia irregularly branched near tips, membranes thick walled, yellow-brown or rust brown (KOH). Cuticle a trichoderm or palisade of fasciculate, projecting, cylindric or clavate terminal cells (pilocystidia), apically with short antler-like projections, membranes thick-walled, hyaline to rust brown, sometimes with yellow-brown plasmatic pigment; intermixed with ovoid to polymorphous cells with thick-walled and strongly refractive walls. Subcutis divided into 2 well defined layers: a) strongly gelatinised, hyaline, entangled hyphae (1-3 µm diam.)-below epicutis; b) irregularly arranged, cylindric, often branched hyphae (up to 20  diam.) with thick-walled, strongly refractive, gelatinised membranes. Clamp connections present.

On rotten wood in broad-leaved forests.-Papua New Guinea.

HONGO (1974: 1. c.); STEVENSON (1964: 1. c.);

According to all morphologic data observed on H. neovelutipes (HONGO) and H. atrofulvus (STEVENSON) these two taxa are undoubtedly closely related to the polymorphic ( ?) and widely distributed H. tenuipes (SCHWEINITZ) SINGER (PEGLER 1977). After examining type material (and additional collections made in the USA) of the latter fungus I came to the conclusion that H. neovelutipes and H. atrofulvus can be considered as geographic micro species distinctive enough to be separated from H. tenuipes proper. Under these circumstances I do not follow HONGO (1976) who considers his H. neovelutipes now as a further synonym of H. tenuipes. Unfortunately the fragmentary condition (HORAK 1971) of the type material prevents the final decision where to accommodate the New Zealand Crinipellis velutipes STEVENSON (1964). Macroscopically all details seen on the coloured plate no. 9 are strongly resembling H. neovelutipes (HONGO) which I collected myself twice in Papua New Guinea. It is very likely that C. velutipes STEVENSON is conspecific to this species, however, fresh material is needed to resolve this problem.

ENGLAND: Kew, Botanical Gardens, on wood along with Hymenophyllum from New Zealand, IV. 1898, leg. MASSEE (K, holotype). - NEW ZEALAND: N. Zealand, on logs in woods, leg. Colenso b 138 (K, as "Ag. (Omphalia) epichysium PERS."). - Wellington, Butterfly, 8. IV. 1961, leg. TAYLOR 74 (K, holotype of X. racemosa STEV. & TAYLOR). - Westcoast, Ahaura, Kopara, Ne1son Creek, 18. I. 1968, leg. HORAK (ZT 68141). -Westcoast, Ahaura, 21. III. 1968, leg. HORAK (ZT 68/204). - PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Morobe district, Bulolo, Taun Creek, 10. XI. 1971, leg. HORAK (ZT 71/273).

Description of fresh material collected in New Zealand: Pileus-10 mm, hemispheric or convex later becoming planoconvex or depressed and finally umbilicate at centre; yellow-brown to pale yellow-brown or cinnamon, paler towards striate incurved margin; hygrophanous, smooth, dry, tough, membranaceous. Lamellae (L 6-12, -3) crowded, broadly adnate or arcuate-decurrent; concolorous with pileus or paler, occasionally forked towards margin of pileus, edge even. Stipe-15 x-1 mm, cylindric or tapering towards base, central; pale yellow-brown above, reddish brown towards base, sometimes with concolorous strigose hairs and/or dark brown rhizomorphs at base; apex pruinose, smooth below, dry, tough, fistulose, single or cespitose in dense groups. Odour and taste not distinctive. Context pale yellow. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH-brown. Spores (5) 5.5-7 x 4-5 µm, ovate, smooth, hyaline, amyloid. Basidia 20 – 30 x 5 - 7 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 20 – 60 x  8-15 µm, fusoid or lageniform, membranes hyaline, thin-walled. Pleurocystidia absent. Caulocystidia like cheilocystidia or clavate, walls with red-brown (KOH) membranous and encrusting pigment. Cuticle a cutis of repent, cylindric or subfusoid hyphae (4- 8 µm diam.) membranes thin-walled, not gelatinised, encrusted with yellow-brown pigment. Clamp connections present.

On rotten wood of broad-leaved trees (e. g. Nothofagus sp. in New Zealand).-New Zealand,. Papua New Guinea, England (type specimens adventitious on imported wood from New Zealand, Botanical Gardens, Kew).

STEVENSON (1964: 1. c.)

W. COLENSO was the first who came across X. leonina (MASSEE). He collected this small agaric in New Zealand and the specimen was sent to Kew Herbarium labelled as "Omphalia epichysium PERS." (cp. material examined). Unaware of this misidentified record MASSEE (1898: 1. c.), a few years later, observed the same species in a greenhouse at Kew Botanical Garden where X. leonina (MASSEE) was found growing on wood imported from New Zealand. The "natural" area of distribution of this fungus, a common species on rotting logs (mostly Nothofagus spp.) in New Zealand, is not restricted to this region alone since (at least once) it was also recorded in Papua New Guinea. The rather large ovate spores are the most significant feature of this species.

NEW ZEALAND: Westcoast, Ahaura, 14. III. 1968, leg. Horak (PDD, 27154, holotype; ZT, 88/157, isotype).

Pileus-8 mm, hemispheric or convex becoming expanded, always with defined eccentric umbilicus; ochraceous to yellow-brown, paler towards striate margin; smooth, dry, membranaceous. Lamellae (L 8 -10,-3) moderately crowded, decurrent; ochraceous-yellow, edge concolorous, even. Stipe-12 x-1 mm, eccentric or sublateral, cylindric, sometimes tapering towards base; ochraceous to orange, brown, base reddish brown; pruinose at apex, rhizomorphs absent, dry, tough, single or gregarious in dense groups. Odour none, taste bitterish. Context tough, pale yellow. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH-brown. Spore print white. Spores 3-4 x 1.5-2 µm, elliptic, hyaline, smooth, amyloid. Basidia 15-18 x 3-5 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 20-35 x 6 -10 µm, fusoid or lageniform, membranes hyaline, smooth, thin-walled. Pleurocystidia none. Caulocystidia like cheilocystidia. Cuticle a cutis or trichoderm of repent cylindric hyphae (4-8 µm diam.), membranes not gelatinised, terminal cells subclavate with thickened, brown (membranous and encrusting pigment) membranes. Clamp connections numerous.

On rotten conifer wood (Podocarpus dacrydioides).- New Zealand.

Pileus -8 mm, ex hemisphaericus convexus dein depresso-umbilicatus, ochraceus vel melleus. Lamellae decurrentes, ochraceae. Stipes-12 x-1 mm, excentricus vel sublateralis, cylindricus, ochraceus basim versus refescens. Sporae 3-4 x 1.5-2 µm, ellipticae amyloideae. Ad lignum putridum Podocarpi. Nova Zelandia.

Due to the yellow-brown colour of the carpophores X. podocarpi can be mistaken for X. leonina (MASSEE) which also occurs in New Zealand. The former species, however, is well characterised by its eccentric stipe, smaller spores and its habitat on conifers.

Typus PDD, 22928

NEW ZEALAND: Coromandel Peninsula, Kirikiri Valley, 10.VII.1968, leg. HORAK (PDD, 27153, holotype; ZT, 68/663, isotype).

Pileus -7 mm, hemispheric or convex when young, centre becoming depressed or subumbilicate with age; pale orange-red or deep brick-red; dry, membranaceous, coarsely innate-fibrillose (reminds of Crinipellis sp.), margin not striate, not hygrophanous. Lamellae (L 6-8,-1), rather distant, broadly adnate to decurrent arcuate in old specimens, sometimes ventricose; concolorous with pileus, edge not fimbriate. Stipe-12 x-1 mm, cylindric, equal or tapering downwards, central; concolorous with pileus; apex pruinose, appressed fibrillose towards base, dry, tough, solid, single in groups. Context orange to brick red, tough. Odour and taste not distinctive. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH-yellow. Spore print white. Spores 3.6-4.6 x 2.5-3 µm, ovate, smooth, hyaline, indistinctly amyloid (dextrinoid in young spores). Basidia 16-25 x 5 µm, 4-spored. Cheilo- and pleurocystidia none. Caulocystidia 15-25 x 6 µm, club-shaped, membrane thin-walled, encrusted with conspicuous yellow (KOH) pigment. Cuticle a cutis of repent, cylindric, bundled hyphae (4 -10 µm diam.), membranes thin-walled, not gelatinised, encrusted with yellow to orange pigment (KOH). Clamp connections on septa.

On rotting trunk of Cyathea sp.-New Zealand.

Pileus-7 mm, ex hemisphaerico convexus dein subumbilicatus, aurantiorufus vel testaceus, innate fibrillosus. Lamellae decurrentes, pileo concolores. Stipes-12 x-1 mm, cylindricus, testaceus, apicaliter pruinosus. Sporae 3.5-4.5 x 2.5-3 µm, ovoideae, vix amyloideae. Ad truncos putridos Cyatheae. Nova Zelandia.

A number of characters are distinctive for this species: brick red colour of the carpophores, lack of cheilocystidia and habitat on rotting trunk of ferns.

Typus PDD, 27153.