Leaf spot of Brachyglottis, a new fungus species (LEV3028, B. repanda J. R. & G. Forst., Wellington : Shannon, G. F. Laundon, 30.xii.l968; LEV3021 (type), IMI 139084, B. repanda var. rangiora (Buchan.) Allan, Waipehu Reserve, Levin. G. F. Laundon. 27.xii.-1968: LEV3273, 5.iv.l969; LEV3390, 17.vi.l969).

Spots epiphyllous, obscure, minute, yellowish, brownish or greenish grey; on undersurface only perithecia are visible embedded in the densely felted covering. Primary mycelium immersed, composed of intercellular hyphae in the mesophyll, hyaline, branched, septate, 2-3µ wide, densely intertwined in the substomatal cavities and forming stromata c. 10-20µ diam., composed of pale olivaceous hyphae. Perithecia seated on a poorly developed irregular subiculum composed of dark pseudoparenchyma and of interwoven olivaceous to brown hyphae: the subiculum connected with the substomatal stromata. Perithecia hypophyllous, superficial, densely aggregated or sometimes ± fused together, in groups up to c. 1 mm diam. (the groups themselves sparse or more usually profuse over the entire leaf, sometimes very crowded or even fused together into larger groups), globose, ovate or ellipsoid, 100-150µ high, 80-130µ diam. rounded or truncate-conoid above, apical pore 10-15µ diam., glabrous, black, wall of several layers of compressed pseudoparenchyma : inner layers lighter with thinner cell walls, outer cells rounded and projecting slightly, 10-20µ thick. ASCI c. 8-15, ellipsoid or long ellipsoid and slightly ventricose, apex rounded and wall 2-4µ thick at maturity, with a short pedicel, 45-80 x 19-23µ,, elongating at maturity, bitunicate, 8-spored, aparaphysate. Ascospores 2-3 seriate, clavate or narrowly ellipsoid, rounded at both ends, hyaline, 1-septate in the middle, not or very slightly constricted, 17-21 x 5.5-7µ.

Maculae epiphyllae, obscurae, minutae, flavidae, brunneolae vel viridigriseae. Mycelium primarium immersum, ex hyphis in mesophyllo intercellularibus, hyalinis, ramosis, septatis, 2-3µ latis, et stromata c. 10-20µ diam. ex hyphis pallide olivaceis dense intertextis in cavatas substomatales facientibus compositum. Perithecia subiculo irregulari ex pseudoparenchymate fuscato et ex hyphis intertextis, olivaceis vel fuscatis, composito insidentia : subiculum cum stromatibus substromatalibus connexum. Perithecia hypophylla, superficialia, dense aggregata vel interdum in catervas usque 1 mm diam. ± connata (catervae plerumque profusae interdum congestissimae) globosa, ovoidea vel ellipsoidea, l00-150µ alta, 80-130µ lata, superne rotundata vel truncato-conoidea, poro apicali 10-15µ diam. glabra, atra, pariete multistratso et l0-20µ crasso. Asci c. 8-15, ellipsoidei vel elongate ellipsoidei et leniter ventricosi, supra rotundati et pariete 2-4µ crasso ad maturitatem, pedicello brevi, 45-80 x 19-23µ, ad maturitatem elongescens, bitunicati, 8-spori, aparaphysati. Ascosporae 2-3 seriatae, clavatae vel anguste ellipsoideae, utrinque rotundatae, hyalinae, medio 1-septatae, non aut minime constrictae, 17-21 x 5.5-7µ.
habitat in foliis vivis Brachyglottidis repandae J. R. & G. Forst. var. rangiorae (Buchan.) Allan, Waiopehu Reserve, Levin, New Zealand, G. F. Laundon, 27.xii.l968, LEV3021 (typus).

This fungus was identified as a new species of Rosenscheldiella by Dr A. Sivanesan (C.M.I.). He stated (pers. comm.) that it is very near R. ugandensis (Syd.) Hansf. but differs in having smaller asci and spores. The fungus readily keys out to the genus Rosenscheldiella in Hansford (1946).
This fungus is regarded as a primary pathogen for similar reasons as is Periconiella araliacearum. It appears that all eleven of the described species of Rosenscheldiella are pathogens.

This species was isolated at Levin (LEV3379, Wellington: Ohau, Levin, R. A. S. Waters, 13.vi.1969) from some unusual symptoms on fruit of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill (tomato) and forwarded to Dr. E. G. Simmons who identified it as S. vesicarium. There is a possibility that the previous recordings of Pleospora herbarum ([Pers.] Fr) Rabenh. on tomato (Dingley, 1960) should be referred to S. vesicarium. The symptoms were of superficial irregular blotches, often very irregular but never-the-less well defined and conspicuous, and often they showed a branching dendritic pattern. Some deeper rots were also present and presumably these develop from some of the superficial blotches. The fungus was readily isolated from the superficial blotches and the symptoms were reproduced by placing spores from a pure culture on to ripening fruit without damaging the skin of the fruit. Re-isolation from the artificially reproduced symptoms yielded the same fungus again. The species is closely similar to P. herbarum and is one of a group of rather similar species described in Simmons (1969). It bears fertile perithecia in culture and the present isolate, when fresh. yielded mature ascospores in cultures only three weeks old on potato carrot agar in a 1 oz McCartney bottle in the light incubator. I am not attempting to describe this species here as it is well described in Simmons's paper (1969). Anyone who wishes to identify this species needs the comparative details given by Simmons in order to distinguish it from the other closely similar species.