CULTURE STUDIED: NEW ZEALAND, Westland, Westland National Park, Lake Matheson, M. Rajchenberg 10085, 7.V.89 (BAFC/cc 495; basidiome at BAFC).

MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 1): Growth rapid, dishes covered in 3 weeks. Growing margin regular, felty-farinose. Mat first woolly with denser radial stripes near the inoculum. At week 6, mat white, tightly felty to plaster-like at the margin, with or without sunken areas. In the centre becoming loose felty to woolly. Around the inoculum it is tightly felty. Pale yellow areas are present in the subfelty and/or felty areas. Mat growing on the glass and then presenting orange-yellow tints. Reverse bleaching. Odour acidic or none.
OXIDASE REACTIONS: tannic acid: ++++, trace gallic acid: ++++, 0 mm tyrosinase: -, 12 mm
MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 2): Marginal hyphae regularly clamped, 3-4(-5) µm diam., thin-walled and sparsely branched. Woolly, felty, and plaster-like areas with many aerial fibre hyphae, 1-1.5(-2.0) µm diam., branched, with hyaline, slightly thickened walls. Pale yellow subfelty areas with submerged mycelium differentiated into cuticular cells that form pseudoparenchymatous areas, with cell walls thickened up to 1-3.5 µm.
SEXUALITY: Seemingly tetrapolar. Ten single monospore cultures were distributed as: A₁B₁:1,2,3,4,6,8; A₂B2: 9, 10; A_XB_X: 5, 7
NUCLEAR BEHAVIOUR: Normal.
CODE: 2.3c.8.10.32.36.37.40.43.54.60.61

REMARKS: Fomes hemitephrus is one of the most common polypores in New Zealand and Australia, and it damages several tree species. Nevertheless, no detailed study of its cultural features has been reported. Refshauge & Proctor (1935) only gave general features. Stalpers' (1978) report of this species in culture does not support the fact that the species causes a white rot in wood and was perhaps based on an old culture or a different taxon. Good basidiome descriptions may be found in Cunningham (1965) and Teixeira (1962).
Fomes hemitephrus has been included or accepted in Fomitopsis Karst. (Cunningham 1948; Ryvarden 1977), Heterobasidion Bref. (Cunningham 1965), and Trametes Fr. (Corner 1989). Teixeira (1962) supports the disposition of this species in Fomes (Fr.) Fr., a disposition with which I concur because of the following characteristics: perennial fruit body, trimitic hyphal system, smooth, hyaline, cylindric spores, pileus covered with a hard smooth crust, production of a white rot, tetrapolar sexuality, production of cuticular cells in culture, and normal nuclear behaviour.
Fomitopsis includes brown wood-rotting species with bipolar sexuality, and most of the species produce generative hyphae with irregularly thickened walls in culture (Carranza-Morse & Gilbertson 1989); hence, the species does not belong in Fomitopsis, as suggested by Hood (1992). Although currently known in New Zealand as Heterobasidion hemitephrus (Berk.) G.H. Cunn. due to Cunningham (1965), Fomes hemitephrus cannot be included in Heterobasidion Bref. Heterobasidion is restricted to fomitoid species with a dimitic hyphal system of simple-septate generative hyphae and skeletal hyphae, and with asperulate spores. Ryvarden (1977) stated that Cunningham's concept of Heterobasidion was too broad. Some support that Heterobasidion is related to the Bondarzewiaceae (Stalpers 1980; Gluchoff-Fiasson et al. 1983). The inclusion of F. hemitephrus in Trametes by Corner (1989) is also not accepted here. It is beyond the limits of that genus (Ryvarden 1991) which includes annual species, lacking a crust on the pileus.
Fomes hemitephrus differs from the type species of the genus, F. fomentarius (L.:Fr.) Kickx., in its creamy to light chestnut colouration of the context and dissepiments, and the lack of sclerids in the context (Gilbertson & Ryvarden 1986). Nevertheless, it shares all other morphological features. I note also that it develops cuticular cells in culture as does F. fomentarius. This character is rarely seen in cultures of trametoid and fomitoid species (Nobles 1965; Stalpers 1978).

Postia atrostrigosa (Cke) comb. nov. Basionym: Polyporus atrostrigosus Cke, Grevillea 19: 2. 1890.
Postia atrostrigosa is part of a complex of species surrounding Postia caesia (Schrad.: Fr.) Karst., given the blue colouration of the fruit bodies upon bruising or drying and the amyloid, allantoid basidiospores.

MATERIAL STUDIED: New Zealand, South Island, North Canterbury, Arthur's Pass National Park, Old Coach Rd, on fallen branch of Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, M. Rajchenberg 10060, 10066, 5.V.89; Mid Canterbury, Craigieburn Forest Park, on N. solandri var. cliffortioides, M. Rajchenberg 10070, 5.V.89; Otago Lakes, Mt Aspiring National Park, track to Blue Pools, on fallen branch in N. menziesii forest, M. Rajchenberg 10098, 8.V.89; Hokonui State Forest, vic. Dunsdale Amenity area, on fallen branch, P.K. Buchanan 85/172, 22.IV.89 (sub. Tyromyces sp., PDD 53806). Argentina, Rio Negro, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Puerto Blest, ad truncum Nothofagus dombeyi, H. Spinedi & C. Amos 197, 9.IV.1980, BAFC 27610 (holotype).

Fruit body annual, effused-reflexed, first forming small circular patches that coalesce, each patch giving rise to 1-several reflexed portions or pilei that may fuse laterally, remain separated, or become imbricate. Effused portion of variable size, up to 7 x 6 x 0.4 cm. Reflexed portion flabelliform or spathulate, first totally white, glabrous or velutinate, developing more or less abundant strands of dark vinaceous or blackish hairs (Fig. 3). These strands have a radial disposition, first being aerial and erect, later totally procumbent on the pileus. The number of strands may increase gradually or dramatically towards the margin. When mature these strands totally cover the pileus, resembling veins, with some strands overlapping some of the others and making the pileus surface black and glabrous. Hymenial surface white and remaining so upon drying. Pores angular, 4-6 per mm, with entire but irregular and dentate dissepiments. Margin sterile, incurved. Context white, up to 1.5 mm thick. Tubes white, up to 2.5 mm long, friable upon drying. Hyphal system monomitic. Generative hyphae clamped, 3-7 µm diam., hyaline, thin-walled in the growing margins but soon regularly or irregularly thick-walled, swelling in 5% KOH, acyanophilous, IKI-, giving a positive metachromatic reaction in cresyl-blue. Dark hairs or veins on the pileal surface formed by dark fuscous hyphae. Tube trama hyphae are up to 5 µm diam. Basidia cylindric or slightly claviform, with a slight constriction, 12-17 x 3-4 µm. Spores cylindric, some slightly curved, 4-5 x 0.8-1 µm, with thin, hyaline walls, IKI-, acyanophilous. Cystidia absent (Fig. 4).
Associated wood-rot is chestnut coloured. CULTURAL STUDIES: Performed with BAFC/cc 575, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10066 (above).
MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 5): Growth very slow, up to 4 cm rad. in 6 weeks. Mat creamy white but poorly developed. Margin regular, appressed, and subfelty. Mat subfelty, farinose throughout, with slightly marked radial stripes, tightly felty around the inoculum. Odour: none.
OXIDASE REACTIONS: tannic acid: -, 0 mm; gallic acid: -, trace; tyrosinase: +, 0 mm
MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 6): Advancing generative hyphae clamped, 4-5 µm diam., thin-walled, infrequently branched. Older generative hyphae much branched, 1.5-5 µm diam., with short, digitiform branches that become sclerified; and with irregular wall thickenings in the wider hyphae. These types of hyphae increase in number towards the inoculum.
CODE: 1.3c.9.32.36.38.47.54.

REMARKS: Postia venata was first described from a single collection from southern Argentina, growing on a fallen trunk of Nothofagus dombeyi (Rajchenberg 1983). Since then it has been found frequently in the Nothofagus forests of Argentina (Rajchenberg 1993). The present records from New Zealand expand its distribution (Rajchenberg 1989). Macroscopically, P. venata may be confused with Tyromyces atrostrigosus (Cooke) G.H. Cunningham (1965), which also possesses more or less conspicuous tufts of hyphae. Nevertheless, the latter species differs macroscopically by its strictly flabelliform fruit bodies and by its context and tubes becoming blue upon drying and handling. Microscopically T. atrostrigosus differs in its allantoid basidiospores that are wider than 1 µm (Fig. 4E), and by becoming blue in Melzer's reagent. This species belongs in Postia Fr. because of its monomitic hyphal system, hyaline spores, clamped generative hyphae that become metachromatic in cresyl-blue, and the association with a brown wood-rot (David 1980; Rilich 1982).
The following new combination is proposed:
Postia atrostrigosa (Cke) comb. nov. Basionym: Polyporus atrostrigosus Cke, Grevillea 19: 2. 1890.
Postia atrostrigosa is part of a complex of species surrounding Postia caesia (Schrad.: Fr.) Karst., given the blue colouration of the fruit bodies upon bruising or drying and the amyloid, allantoid basidiospores.
Postia venata may also be confused with Tyromyces setiger (Cooke) G.H. Cunn. (Cunningham 1965; Hood 1992), which possesses allantoid spores and a strigose pileus. Nevertheless, T. setiger differs in the following characters: fruit bodies strictly pileate, not effused-reflexed; pilear surface white and uniformly strigose, with hyaline tufts of hyphae; context up to 30 mm thick and tubes up to 10 mm long; spores allantoid, 4-5 x 1-1.5 µm (Fig. 4D). I have confirmed these observations in two collections of T. setiger: New Zealand, Hawke's Bay, Dannevirke, W. Colenso b517, PDD 39360 (part of type); Auckland, Campbells Bay, on Pittosporum tenuifolium, J. Dingley, Jul. 1953, PDD 13427. Cunningham (1965) stated that T. setiger is associated with a white wood-rot. This needs confirmation, as its morphological features support the inclusion of this species in Postia, a brown wood-rotting genus.

CULTURES STUDIED: New Zealand, South Island, North Canterbury, Arthur's Pass National Park, Old Coach Rd, on fallen branch of Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, M. Rajchenberg 10054, 5.V.89, BAFC/cc 521; ibid., M. Rajchenberg 10057. (Basidiomes at BAFC.)

MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 7): Growth very slow, 4.1-4.5 cm in 6 weeks. Margin regular and subfelty. Mat poorly developed, pale cream, homogeneously subfelty or pubescent with slightly raised mycelium. Around the inoculum denser, white, and with inconspicuous radial stripes. Reverse bleaching. Odour none.
OXIDASE REACTIONS: gallic acid: +++, 0 cm; tannic acid: +, 0 cm; tyrosinase: +++, 0 cm
MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS (Fig. 8): Generative hyphae with hemispheric clamps, hyaline, slightly thickened walls, 3-5 µm diam., branched, also with short digitiform lateral branches 1-1.2 µm diam. Drepanocysts present from the 4th week onwards. Allocysts are formed in the mat around the inoculum.
SEXUALITY: Tetrapolar. Ten single spore cultures were confronted with each other and were distributed as follows: BAFC 521: A₁B₁: 1, 4, 8, 10; A₂B₂: 9; A₁B₂: 2, 6; A₂B₂: 3, 5, 7; MR 10057: A₁B₁: 1, 10; A₂B₂: 9, 8; A₁B₂: 3, 5, 7; A₂B₁: 6, 11
NUCLEAR BEHAVIOUR: Normal.
CODE: 2.3c.7.26.31 b.32.36.40.47.54.60.61

REMARKS: The formation of drepanocysts in culture stresses once again the close relationship between the polyporoid Schizopora and the corticioid Hyphodontia . Erikss. (Donk 1967; Hassan Kassim & David 1983; Eriksson et al. 1984; Gilbertson & Ryvarden 1987).

MATERIAL STUDIED (SELECTED): New Zealand, Westland, Lake Mapourika, on Coprosma, J.M. Dingley, XI.1946, PDD 5252 (holotype of Poria coprosmae); Stewart Island, vic. Halfmoon Bay, Ackers Point, Scenic Walk, on wood on ground, P.K. Buchanan 85/181, 24.Apr.85, PDD 53813; Auckland, Waitemata, Waitakere Ranges, Spragg Track, M. Rajchenberg 10020, 11.Apr.89, BAFC; ibid., Winstone Track, on Olearia furfuracea, M. Rajchenberg 10034, 11.Apr.89, BAFC; Coromandel, Port Charles, track between Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay, M. Rajchenberg 10039, 22.Apr.89, BAFC.
CULTURES STUDIED: BAFC/cc 531, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10020; BAFC/cc 561, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10034; BAFC/cc 463, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10039 (above).

REMARKS: This is the correct epithet for the specimens named as Tyromyces chioneus (Fr.) Karst. by Cunningham (1965), who stated that his fungus was the same one treated as Polyporus semipileatus Peck by Overholts (1953) from North America, and now widely accepted as a synonym of S. nivea (David 1982; Gilbertson & Ryvarden 1987). Cunningham (1965) himself realised that his Poria coprosmae G.H. Cunn. was the same taxon, but he incorrectly used the name Tyromyces chioneus, which is a different taxon, as stated by Buchanan & Ryvarden (1988). The latter authors, in their type studies of polypores described by G.H. Cunningham (Buchanan & Ryvarden 1988), were of the opinion that Poria coprosmae was a distinct taxon and placed it in Ceriporiopsis Dom. My own studies of the holotype, other herbarium material, freshly collected materials, and cultural studies lead me to support Cunningham's (1965) view.
The species has a dimitic or semi-trimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, arbuscular "binding hyphae" that are branched, solid and lateral processes of the generative hyphae, and skeletal hyphae (Fig. 9B-D). Buchanan & Ryvarden (1988) depicted these solid binding processes indicating that a "careful examination of the thick-walled `binding' hyphae shows the occasional clamp". They did not mention the presence of skeletal hyphae but I found them in the holotype of P. coprosmae as well as in other specimens studied. The holotype contains several fruit bodies. In some of them skeletal hyphae are lacking in the dissepiments but they are found in other fruit bodies of the collection. The same situation was found in other specimens studied. This is not strange, as typical specimens of S. nivea are devoid of skeletal hyphae in the dissepiments (David 1982; Gilbertson & Ryvarden 1987). In the context, however, they are commonly found, as in PDD collections of P. coprosmae including the holotype. Pyramidic crystals on generative hyphae in the dissepiments of S. nivea were said to be absent in the holotype of P. coprosmae (Buchanan & Ryvarden 1988). Nevertheless, I was able to find them regularly in some fruit bodies of this collection (Fig. 10) as well as in many other collections. The spores of P. coprosmae are also typical of S. nivea (Fig. 9E).
Cultures of P. coprosmae showed similar features to those described for S. nivea (Nobles 1965; Bakshi et al. 1969; Stalpers 1978; David 1982). In brief: growth of the mycelium is very slow, oxidase reactions are positive, the generative hyphae become irregularly thick walled and may develop sclerified lateral arbuscular branches. Fibre hyphae are also formed as well as contorted, encrusted, and sclerified hyphal tips (Fig. 11). The sexuality is tetrapolar.

MATERIAL STUDIED: New Zealand, Wellington, Mt Ruapehu, Wakapapaiti, on Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, J.M. Dingley, 1.1951, PDD 11038 (holotype of T. stramenticus); Taupo National Park, Station Bush, on Nothofagus fusca, S.D. Baker, 1.1954, PDD 13331; Westland, Arthur's Pass National Park, Kellys Creek, Cockayne Natural Walk, on fallen trunk, M. Rajchenberg 10074, 6.V.89, BAFC; Mt Aspiring National Park, Haast Pass, Roaring Billy Forest Walk, in Podocarpus + Nothofagus menziesii forest, on dead standing tree, M. Rajchenberg 10095, 8.V.89, BAFC; ibid., on fallen trunk of Nothofagus menziesii, M. Rajchenberg 10096, 8.V.89, BAFC. Argentina, Rio Negro, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Puerto Blest, track to Los Cantaros, M. Rajchenberg 3883, 16.111.87, BAFC 31009; ibid., M. Rajchenberg 3886, 16.111.87, BAFC 31010; Neuquen, Los Lagos, Lago Pire, M. Rajchenberg 3905, 18.111.87, BAFC 31008 (holotype of S. australis).
CULTURES STUDIED: BAFC/cc 2067, from specimen BAFC 31009. BAFC/cc 2098, from specimen BAFC 31010. BAFC/cc 499, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10095. BAFC/cc 507, from specimen M. Rajchenberg 10096 (above).

Skeletocutis stramenticus (G.H. Cunn.) comb. nov.
REMARKS: Contrary to Cunningham's (1965) description, this species is not pileate but effused resupinate. It is very easily detachable from the substrate to show the narrow basal point of attachment. The subicular hyphae on the surface are radially arranged and give the impression that the "pileus" is "covered with coarse radiating and branched fibrils of agglutinated hyphae" (Cunningham 1965). These hyphae are the only ones bearing the highly characteristic crystals of the genus Skeletocutis (Keller 1979; David 1982). The crystals are almost absent in the dissepiments' trama, as is usual in this genus. Skeletal hyphae are difficult to observe because of the right arrangement of the hyphae. Nevertheless, they are easily recognised with cresyl-blue in the dissepiments, where they are the only hyphae to give a metachromatic reaction. New Zealand collections of S. stramenticusincluding the holotype are morphologically similar in all respects to the southern South American Skeletocutis australis (Rajchenberg 1987).
I studied several fresh specimens from New Zealand and was able to perform cultural studies as well as to determine the sexuality and the nuclear behaviour. All these features were similar to those described for S. australis. Tester strains were selected and used to perform compatibility tests between specimens from Argentina and New Zealand. The results are shown in Table 1. A high degree of compatibility (88%) was found, indicating conspecificity. The New Zealand name, having priority, is therefore transferred to the genus Skeletocutis because of the resupinate habit, the dimitic hyphal system, the presence of characteristic crystals, tetrapolarity, and heterocytic nuclear behaviour.