COLLECTIONS EXAMINED NEW ZEALAND North Island : Auckland, Titirangi Range, Atkinson Park, 8 Oct. 1967, R. F. R. McNabb & E. Horak, on soil or rotten trunks of Cyathea dealbata under Agathis, Leptospermum, etc. (Herb. HK., ZT 67/145); Rotorua, Te Weranga Pool, 15 July 1968, E. Horak, under Leptospermum scoparium and L. ericoides (Herb. HK., ZT 68/668) ; Rotorua, Sulphur Springs, Gunn 257 (type, K). South Island: Prov. Nelson, Lewis Pass, Springs Junction, 5 Dec. 1967, E. Horak, on rotten wood under Nothofagus fusca (Herb. HK., ZT. 67/208) ; Prov. Westcoast, Kopara, 13 Dec. 1967, E. Horak, among litter and on rotten wood under Nothofagus fusca (Herb. HK., ZT 67/251); Prov. Westcoast, Karamea, Opara Road, 30 Dec. 1967, R. F. R. McNabb, under Leptospermum scoparium (Herb. HK., ZT 68/84)

Pileus 10-45 mm diam., hemispherical when young, later becoming convex or umbonate and expanded; dark (date) brown, sometimes even umber brown but also becoming ochraceous in old fruiting bodies; always striate near the margin, hygrophanous, dry, densely and permanently covered by appressed fibrillose squamules of rusty or dark ochraceous colour. Lamellae (L 10-18, 1 3) adnate or emarginate-adnexed; argillaceous, turning brown, sometimes with whitish serrulate gill edge. Stipe 15-60 X 1.5-7 mm, cylindrical, when old often subclavate, fistulose; dry, apically whitish and farinaceous, below the striate, permanent, submobile ring (sometimes attached near the base) densely covered with squarrose, upwards pointed, ochraceous or golden yellow scales from the velum universale. Context brown, not gelatinous. Smell and taste not distinctive. Spores 9.5-12 X 6-7 µ, sublimoniform, verrucose with smooth mucro, isolated warts embedded in brownish perispore, without particular plage, germ pore absent. Basidia 30-38 X 10 µ, 4-spored, Cheilocystidia 30-60 X 7-13 µ, cylindrical or fusoid, thin-walled, forming a sterile zone at the gill edge. Cuticle consisting of clavate cells, 12-40 X 8-20 µ, forming an epithelium; hyphae thin-walled, strongly encrusted with brown pigment, not gelatinized. Hyphae of the velum universale cylindrical, thin-walled, encrusted, with clamp-connections.

HABITAT: on soil or on rotten wood in forests (various species of Nothofagus, Leptospermum, etc.). New Zealand.

COLLECTIONS EXAMINED: NEW ZEALAND South Island: Maungatua, 18 April 1953, Mrs. G. Stevenson 877, under Nothofagus menziesii (K) ; Prov. Canterbury, Craigieburn Range, Cave Stream, 19 April 1968, C. Baker, under Nothofagus cliffortioides (Herb. HK., ZT 68/272); Prov. Nelson, Lake Rotoiti, St. Arnaud Range, 30 April 1969, E. Horak, in litter under Nothofagus fusca and N. menziesii (holotype, Herb. HK., ZT 69/277).

Pileus 30-70 mm diam., at first hemispherical with strongly incurved margin, becoming umbonate-convex, rarely expanded, fleshy; dark (date) brown, always showing a distinct olive-greenish tinge, hygrophanous; covered with a thick layer of slime (up to 3 mm), near the striate margin grooved or wrinkled, without any squamulose remnants of the velum universale. Lamellae emarginate, crowded; argillaceous to coffee brown or ochraceous-brown; gill edge whitish and fimbriate. Stipe 40-80 X 8-15 mm, cylindrical, robust, at maturity fistulose; brown or lighter than the pileus; dry, apically glabrous to longitudinally fibrillose, below the annulus with squarrose squamules; ring very conspicuous, pendent, strongly striate, immobile; whitish or concolorous with the stipe; at the crenulate margin frequently with brown, gelatinous patches (originating from the margin of the pileus). Context brown. Smell and taste not distinctive. Spores 12.5-15 X 7-8 µ, almond-shaped, strongly warted except for the mucro, with conspicuous perlspore embedding the warts, plage smooth. Basidia 35-46 X 10-14 µ, 4-spored. Cystidia at the gill edge conspicuous, 25-60 X 10-35 µ, clavate, thin-walled, partially encrusted with brown pigment, with clamp connections. Cuticle consisting of loosely arranged cells, 18-45 X 12-25 µ, more or less forming an epithelium; membrane of hyphae strongly gelatinized and covered by crusts of a brown pigment.

HABITAT: Among litter in Nothofagus forests (N. cliffortioides, N. fusca, N. menziesii). New Zealand.

Pileo 30-70 mm lato, hemisphaerico demum umbonato-convexo, margine incurvo, brubneo et distincte olivaceo-tincto, glutinoso, marginem versus venoso-subsulcato, striato, hygrophano, fragmentis veli universali nullis. Lamellis emarginatis, ex argillaceo ochraceo-brunneis, fimbriatis. Stipite 40-80 X 8-15 mm, cylindraceo, robusto, fistuloso, sicco, pileo concolori vel pallidiori, superne glabro, basim versus squamis squarrosis instructo, annulo albo vel argillaceo, amplo, patulo, perstriato, fixo, marginem versus partibus glutinosis brunneisque ornato. Carne obscure brunnea. Odore saporeque nullis. Sporis 12.5-15 X 7-8 µ, amygdaliformibus, grosse verrucosis, depressione suprahilari indistincta instructis. Cheilocystidiis 25-60 X 10-35 µ, conspicuis, clavatis, tenuitunicatis, fibuligeris. Epicute e cellulis clavatis, 18-45 X 12-25 µ, epithelium efformantibus, membrana glutinosa et pigmento brunneo incrustata. Inter folia deiecta in silvls nothofagineis. Novazelandia.

Descolea majestatica, the third member of the genus with a gelatinized cuticle, is characterized by several peculiarities which place it in a somewhat transitional taxonomic position. According to the robust and fleshy nature of the fruiting bodies and the thick gelatinous layer on the pileus, this species could be taken as related to Rozites. The latter genus is also known from the Nothofagus forests of S. America, New Zealand, and Australia, and represented by some ten species. The occurrence of articulate cheilocystidia and the generally amygdaliform spores brings out the close relationship between D. majestatica and southern Rozites. The hymeniform cuticle, the smooth mucro of the spores, and the strongly striate. persistent ring are however distinct characters of Descolea. Therefore this species is considered to be a member of the genus Descolea.

Holotypus: Novazelandia, Lake Rotoiti, 30. IV. 1969, E. Horak (Herb. HK., ZT 69/277).

COLLECTIONS EXAMINED NEW ZEALAND South Island: Prov. Nelson, Lake Rotoiti, 23 May 1968, E. Horak, under species of Nothofagus and Leptospermum (Herb. HK., ZT 68/500); Lake Rotoiti, St. Arnaud, 3o April 1969, E. Horak, under species of Nothofagus (holotype, Herb. HK., ZT 69/274).

Pileus 10-30 mm diam., hemispherical when young, later becoming campanulate or umbonate, rarely flat and expanded; reddish brown, liver brown or sometimes dark melleous; dry, hygrophanous, at the centre deeply wrinkled and radially veined, striate near the margin, veil remnants absent. Lamellae adnexed, crowded; pallid brownish, ochraceous or rusty brown at maturity; edge whitish, finely fimbriate. Stipe 30-70 X 2-6 mm, cylindrical or attenuated upwards, solid, later fistulose; concolorous with the pileus or lighter; dry, densely covered by white silky fibrils, towards the base with several white conspicuous bands of the velum universale, never squarrose or scaly; ring white, striate (sometimes smooth), persistent, immobile. Context brownish. Smell and taste fruity or intensely farinaceous. Spores 8-11.5 X 5-6 µ, amygdaliform, minutely warted, warts sometimes even covering the indistinct mucro, germ pore or plage absent. Basidia 25-34 X 5-8 µ, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 20-35 X 5-10 µ, clavate or ampullaceous, indistinct, forming a sterile zone at the gill edge. Cuticle consisting of clavate cells, 20-35 X 10-20 µ, rarely 1-layered, usually forming several horizons (see Fig. 6), strongly encrusted with brown pigment; membrane not gelatinized. All hyphae with clamp connections.

HABITAT: Among litter, mainly in Nothofagus forests (N. cliffortioides, N. fusca, N. menziesii; occasionally mixed with species of Leptospermum). New Zealand.

Pileo 10-30 mm lato, hemisphaerico deinde campanulato, ex carneo-brunneo hepatico, sicco, distincte rugoso. Lamellis adnexis, brunneolo-ochraceis, mox ochraceo-ferrugineis, intermixtis. Stipite 30-70 X 2-6 mm, cylindraceo vel apicem versus attenuato, fistuloso, sicco, pileo concolori vel pallidiori, annulo albo immobili striato instructo, basin versus zonis albis nonnullis numquam squarrosis cingulato. Carne brunneola. Odore saporeque fructuolentis vel farinaceis. Sporis 8-11.5 X 5-6 µ, amygdaliformibus, minute verrucosis, subtruncatis. Cheilocystidiis clavatis vel ampullaceis, 20-35 X 5-10 µ, tenuitunicatis. Epicute e cellulis clavatis, 20-35 X 10-20 µ, epithelium efformantibus, pigmento brunneo incrustatis, fibuligeris, membrana hyphorum haud gelatinosa. Inter folia deiecta in silvis praecipue nothofagineis. Novazelandia.

This species is easily recognizable by its deeply wrinkled and veined pileus and the conspicuous white remnants of the velum partiale and velum universale. Thus D. phlebophora, which has roughly the same ecological requirements as D. gunnii differs from it morphologically in the absence of scales towards the base of the stipe and the liver brown colour of the pileus respectively. Owing to these characters both taxa can be readily identified in the field.

Holotypus: Novazelandia, Lake Rotoiti, 30. IV. 1969, E. Horak (Herb. HK., ZT 69/274).