MATERIAL: New Zealand: North I.; N. Auckland: in forest remnant in Riverhead State Forest, B. P. Segedin, II vi 1983, PDD 56754.

Spore print white. Spores 5-7 X 3-4 (5.7 X 3.3) µm. Q = 1.7, ellipsoid to elongate, variable in size, larger probably from 2-spored basidia, hyaline, thin-walled, weakly amyloid. Basidia 15 X 6 µm., 2- and 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 40-80 X 9-15 µm., forming abroad, sterile edge to the lamella, basically clavate, hyaline or with red (brown in KOH) sap, producing a complicated system of diverticulate apical blanches all with red sap. Pleurocystidia rather infrequent, much smaller versions of the cheilocystidia, faintly yellow-brown in KOH. Trama of parallel, inflated hyphae 3-15 um diam., colourless, vinaceous brown in Melzer's. Sub hymenium narrow, of narrow hyphae. Context of inflated cells like the trama with a few fine conducting hyphae and some clusters of cells with yellow-brown contents. Pileipellis of repent inflated hyphae with red (brown) sap, producing many branched protuberances rather like the cheilocystidia, with lighter coloured sap. Subpellis of large, inflated cells with brown sap, up to 30µm. diam. Stipe of long, narrow hyphae, with yellow-brown sap, no conducting hyphae present. Caulocystidia none. Clamp connections present

This appears to be same fungus originally described by Singer (1969) from Argentina under Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirbel) Oersted and recorded by Horak (1979) in Tierra del Fuego also growing under Nothofagus. In New Zealand it is likely to be growing under Leptospermum scoparium J. R. et G. Forst. or Kunzea ericoides, (A. Rich.) J. Thompson. Hongo (1977) described a new species from Japan, which he named M. neoavenacea. This has ascending lamellae, much more distinctive pleurocystidia and larger spores than the New Zealand fungus.

Colour of spore print unknown.

Spores 8-11 X 5.5-7 (9.4 X 6.3) µm., Q = 1.49, ellipsoid, hyaline, thin-walled, strongly amyloid. Basidia 15-18 X 6-8.5 µm., short and fat, 2- to 4-spored, sterigmata relatively long (up to 4-5 µm.). Cheilocystidia 35-40 X 3-7 µm., forming a broad band of closely packed, thin-walled, fusiform to narrowly clavate cells, mostly with a smooth apex but sometimes with 1-4 µm. small apical protuberances, yellow-brown plasmatic pigment. Gill edge gelatinised. Pleurocystidia absent. Trama of more or less parallel, narrow (2-3 µm.) hyphae, vinescent-red in Melzer's. Context of thick-walled hyphae of fairly regular cells (15 X 7 µm.), not inflated, vinescent-red in Melzer's. Pileipellis very complex; suprapellis of narrow, gelatinised hyphae, probably separable, with scattered, large bundles of thin-walled hairs; pellis of narrow (5-6 µm.) hyphae with short, sometimes diverticulate protuberances often terminating in inflated cells (10-15 µm. diam.) bearing large numbers of short (1-4 µm.) to long (-10 µm.) protuberances. Beneath the pellis is a subpellis of mostly spherical (4.5-5 µm. diam.) to short cylindrical (9-16 µm. long) elements with very thick (up to 3 µm. wide) walls. Stipe of narrow hyphae, the cortex bearing many long, thick-walled, tapering caulocystidia (85-140 X 6-12 µm. at the base, 2-4 µm. diam. at the tips, some distinctly swollen at the base). In the middle of the stipe are a few conducting hyphae with yellow (KOH), shining contents. Disc consists of thick-walled, hyaline hyphae 4 µm. diam., with a brown, resinous, encrusting pigment; the dark colour at the edge and underside of the disc appears to be due in part to colonies of blue-green algae. No clamp connections seen.

HABITAT: Gregarious, on dead wood in mixed podocarp-dicotyledonous forest.

ETYMOLOGY: The epithet of the new species reflects the almost completely spherical form of the young basidiome.

At first sight, the assigning of this fungus to any section as presently defined raises some problems. The well-developed disc at the base of the stipe and gelatinous pellicle suggest section Basipedes but it would be excluded on account of its green colour (Maas Geesteranus 1980). Maas Geesteranus has not included section Cyanocephalae in his Conspectus, presumably because it comprises only Southern Hemisphere species. This section was introduced by Singer in 1975 but not legitimised until 1986 (Singer 1986), to accommodate three blue to blue-green species; M. cyanocephala Sing., (S. America) M. interrupta (Berk.) Sacc. (Australia), and M. veneta Stev. (New Zealand), all of which Horak (1983) considers to be the same species, namely M. interrupta.

M. globuliformis can be confused with M. interrupta, even when it is found on the same log (PDD 34786), but, when looked at critically, the pileus is seen to be more yellowish-green on a straw-coloured background, rather than blue-green, which would exclude it from section Cyanocephalae. The situation is further confused by the presence of blue-green algae at the edge of the disc, which, when moist, may give a distinctly blue-green colour. The appropriate place for M. globuliformis appears to be section Longisetae, despite the absence of pileal setae and the amyloidity of the spores. There are, indeed, many resemblances to M. longiseta Hohnel, such as structure of the pileipellis, the cheilocystidia and the disc, and the long setiform hairs on the stipe. Although there are no pileal setae, the subpellis in M. globuliformis is composed of conspicuously thick-walled cells very much like the basal cells, which are extended into setae in M. longiseta. Another species of Mycena, M. sublongisetae Z.-s. Bi, has recently been described from China. This differs from M. globuliformis in its larger size, its yellow-brown pileus and orange-yellow lamellae, but it resembles it in having slightly amyloid spores; the pileal setae are intermediate in size between the other two species. The discovery of a third species related to M. longiseta reinforces the segregation of section Longisetae from section Basipedes.

MATERIAL: New Zealand: North I.; N. Auckland: University of Auckland Reserve, Huapai, B. P. Segedin, 16 v 1980, PDD 56704 (holotypus).

ETYMOLOGY: lividus, livid, from the leaden sheen on the coloured pileus. Caused by the covering of darkish fibrils.

The rich purple-red colour and the very dark brown edge to the somewhat decurrent lamellae are distinctive characters.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to the habitat on aerial roots of mamaku.

This is a very easily recognised fungus, with a very characteristic pleated, parabolic shape, apparently always growing among the aerial roots of Cyathea medullaris. It strongly resembles M. lohwagii Sing. and M. pterigena (Fr.: Fr.) Kumm., differing from them in colour of the basidiome, smaller and more strongly diverticulate cheilocystidia and pileipellis elements, lack of caulocystidia, and a different fern substrate.

Spores 8.5-11.5 X 5.5-7 (9.1 X 6.3) µm., Q=1.4, distinctly elliptical to elliptic elongate, variable in size, collapsing-easily, strongly amyloid, walls becoming eroded during drying. Cheilocystidia 50-65 X 9-13 µm., narrow fusoid, fusoid-ventricose to lageniform, some sharply pointed apically, yellow-brown in KOH. Pleurocystidia like cheilocystidia, infrequent. Basidia short and fat (20 X 10 µm.) with 2 or 4 plump sterigmata. Trama of inflated cells (-15 µm. diam.), dextrinoid in Melzer's, with numerous lactifers, narrow hyphae with dark red (in KOH) contents. Subhymenium a narrow zone of narrow hyphae, strongly dextrinoid in Melzer's. Pileipellis narrow, repent hyphae with narrow, mostly short, simple protuberances, not easy to determine. Sub-pellis of large, inflated cells up to 30 µm. diam. Context of narrow and inflated hyphae 5-15 µm. diam. Stipe of parallel, narrow, thick-walled hyphae, dark coloured; some simple or diverticulate protuberances, especially towards the base. Clamp connections seen occasionally. Dried material dark red to black.

The type material appears to be a mixed collection. There are two pale brown stipes, one attached to wood, which do not seem to be related to the rest of the material. They bear a quantity of brown spore on their surface, rein forcing the impression that they belong to some other fungus. The rest of the material although somewhat fragmented, adds up to two fruiting bodies, as illustrated in Stevenson's painting and these provided the information above Stevenson's drawing of a cheilocystidium of M. mariae is still a puzzle for it is of the Rotalis type which one would not expect in section Galactopoda It could perhaps have been a drawing of a pileipellis element, and there is still the possibility that the collection is a mixed one.

Description of basidiome based on information from a further collection.

Pileus 14 X 6 mm., dull pinkish red, convex, broadly umbonate, smooth to Finely fibrillose. Lamella ascending, adnate with decurrent tooth, 2 series, up to 16 reaching the stipe, pink with a red margin. Stipe 30-40 X 1 mm, concolorous with pileus, hollow expanding slightly towards the base, paler at to darker below, exuding red latex when broken, long brown hairs at the base. Flesh thin, pink in cap, darker in stipe. Smell and taste unknown. Fungus drying dark red to black. The red colour in the basidiome dissolves out readily in KOH and stains the cytoplasm of spores umber.

Microscopically PDD 56757 fits very well with the description of the type, the main variation being in the greater degree of diverticulation in the pileipellis elements and more distinctly diverticulate terminal cells on the stipe (Fig. 8: 6b). The spores were also slightly longer (8.5-12.5 X 5.5-7 (10.7 X 5.9) µm, Q= 1.8).

This is a very tough fungus and sections of the basidiome are very difficult to squash after KOH treatment. The basidiomes are light brown in colour when dried and have a very distinct, small umbo.

Description of basidiome based on information from a further collection

Pileus variable in size from 6-25 mm diam., convex conic with a distinctly pointed umbo, fawn to umber or bay brown at the centre, pellucid striate at the margin, smooth, drying yellow-brown. Lamellae creamy white, drying light yellow-brown, fairly broad, slightly decurrent, in 3 series, margin fimbriate under a lens, not differently coloured. Stipe 20-70 X 2-3 mm, smooth, pale yellow-brown at the top, darker below, even for most of length but slightly expanded at the base. Taste and smell unknown. Basidiome dries light brown with yellowish stipe.

Microscopically PDD 34878 varies little from the type. Spore range, 7-10 X 4.5-7(8.6 X 6.4) µm, Q=1.3, is similar. Some cheilocystidia and pleurocystidia are slightly larger, the pleurocystidia being the larger of the two; both are commonly geniculate at the base of the neck and some at the base of the cystidium. A few very small, slightly diverticulate elements were found on the stipe (Fig. 9,6b).

ETYMOLOGY: named after the district (Oratia) in which the species was first discovered.

The umbonate, brightly coloured, pellucid striate pileus, decurrent to arcuate lamellae with a strongly pigmented margin and lignicolous habit are characteristic of this fungus. The nodulose pileipellis elements and the only faintly vinaceous (in Melzer's) staining of the trama are rather unusual features for section Rubro-marginatae. It resembles M. seynesiella Malencon apud Mal. & Bertault in having coralloid pileipellis elements but its cheilocystidia are diverticulate rather than smooth lageniform as in M. seynesiella.

HOLOTYPUS: PDD 56705.

Spores 6.5-9 X 5.5-7 (7.3 X 6.4) µm., Q=1.1, almost spherical, variable in size but falling very nearly into two groups, approximately 7 X 6.2 and 8.5 X 7 µm. (which probably reflect the presence of the 2- and 4-spored basidia), smooth, very strongly amyloid. Basidia very short and fat, 15 X 10 µm., 2- and 4- spored. Cheilocystidia abundant, forming a wide band, fusiform-ventricose to hastate, 35-70 X 6-12 µm., with brownish (in KOH) plasmatic pigment; among them occasional, irregularly swollen elements with faintly granular contents which appear to be endings of the latex system. Pleurocystidia 45 X 9 µm., like the cheilocystidia but shorter and broader and with paler (in KOH) contents. Trama of thin-walled hyphae, narrow and inflated, colourless except near the edge of the lamellae, where they may have yellow (in KOH) sap. Pileipellis of narrow (3-5 µm.) elements with many simple or slightly diverticulate protuberances. Context of inflated cells, with convoluted, shining yellow (in KOH) lactifers, 7 µm. diam. Cortical cells of the stipe with simple or once-diverticulate outgrowths, 20-30 X 10 µm., singly or in clumps; terminal cells 20-30 X 5)  µm., with short (3-8 µm.) diverticulate protuberances. Clamp connections present.

Description of basidiome based on information from further collections

Pileus very variable in size from 2-3 mm up to 20mm in diam., broadly conic with a narrow to moderately broad umbo, or convex, mostly pinkish-fawn (7B5-6) or paler, darker reddish-brown (8C7) in centre, with very fine, reddish fibrils under a lens, dry, dull, striate-plicate to more than 1/2 of radius, margin crenulate, often with a deeper pink spot in the centre of each crenulation; drying vinaceous grey brown (7E6). Lamellae ascending, adnate with a decurrent tooth to sinuate, flesh pink, drying yellowish-brown (6B6), fairly broad and somewhat distant, in 2 series, margin Fimbriate, distinctly red or deep pink or concolorous with the lamellae. (The bright red of the lamellar edge in some fruiting bodies is due to the bright red sap in the cheilocystidia and neighboring cells of the trama; in others the sap will be a pale yellow.) Stipe 5-50 X 1-2 mm, pinkish-fawn lo reddish-brown, darker brown towards the base and darkening on handling, even, shining, with very fine, pale squamules, more distinct hairs at the base and attached to the substratum; exuding deep red latex when broken. Flesh thin red. Smell none, taste unknown. Dried basidiomes are brown, sometimes with blackened areas depending on age when dried. Stipe often completely black.

Microscopically, collections of this fungus are very uniform, easy to identify by the almost spherical spores (highly variable in size, probably due partly at least to the presence of 2- and 4-spored basidia) and the broad band of cheilocystidia with red-brown or yellow sap. Terminal cells 20-30 X 5 µm., with short (3-8 µm.) diverticulate protuberances were detected on the stipes of many of them (Fig. 9: 6). clamp connections are present occasionally.

HABITAT: Gregarious and caespitose on dead wood of Kunzea ericoides, Leptospermum scoparium, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (A. Rich.) Laubenf., Metrosideros excelsa in lowland podocarp Dicotyledonous forest, on introduced plants such as Quercus robur L. and Cycas revoluta Thunb. in city gardens, and even in limestone caves.

This is one of the most frequently occurring species of Mycena, always in clusters on wood, commonly on Kunzea, Leptospermum, or Dacrycarpus in mixed podocarp-dicotyledonous forest, but also in unusual habitats such as on wood deep in a limestone cave (PDD 55742). The large number of collections indicates the frequency with which this fungus occurs and the variability in its size and colouring, and degree of pigmentation of the lamellar edge. Its habit, in large clusters, always on dead wood, is distinctive, as is the usually flesh-coloured, striate-plicate pileus with a darker spot in the centre and crenate margin.

ETYMOLOGY: Named after the podocarp wood on which it was collected

The violet colour of the basidiomes and the very dark lamellar margin, together with the reddish-coloured plasmatic pigment of most internal tissues are very distinctive.

M. austroavenacea, M. lividorubra, and M. podocarpi form a group of closely related, brightly-coloured species, all with lamellar margins distinctively dark-coloured and homogeneously sterile: cheilocystidia basically clavate, with long, often contorted excrescences; spores small and amyloid; basidia 2-4-spored. M. oratiensis stands a little apart in having an umbonate pileus, more strongly decurrent lamellae; larger spores; 4-spored basidia, and nodulose pileipellis elements. All bat M. austroavenacea grow on wood.

Microscopically the affinities of these fungi appear to lie with the M. olivaceomarginata (Massee apud Cooke) Massee group, which Maas Geesteranus (1986b) describes as a very variable species, which may appear in a number of colour forms. The main difference is the much smaller spore size of the Southern Hemisphere species compared with the Northern ones. The original description of M. olivaceomarginata by Massee, both in the text (Cooke 1883) and on the figure in Cooke (1881, pl. 1153 (959)), gives the spore size as "6 X 5 µm." (Close to the size for the Southern species) and this has never been reconciled with all later records for this species of approximately 9-13 X 5-7 µm. Recently, Singer (1989) has described a new species of Mycena from Brazil, M. castaneomarginata Sing., which appears , to have many of the microscopic characters of the New Zealand species, including the small spores (6.5-7.5 X 4-4.5 µm.), but is a much smaller fungus and lacks the bright colours. In a field identification key to some Victorian (Australia) species of Mycena, Grgurinovic & Holland (1982) referred to a new species, M. erythromyces nom.inal., which appears from the meagre morphological description to resemble M. oratiensis, no microscopic details were supplied for comparison.

ETYMOLOGY: The name refers to the conspicuous, red, plasmatic globules in the tissues, particularly the basidia.

M. rubroglobulosa shares numerous characters with M. singeri Lodge (Lodge 1988) and M. endoglobulosa Sing. (Singer 1978) in colour and shape of cystidia, pileipellis characters and conducting elements. It differs from M. singeri in the shape and larger size of the spores, presence of globules of red material (insoluble in KOH) in the basidia as well as the cystidia, and the absence of caulocystidia, and from M. endoglobulosa, which has larger spores, and no pleurocystidia, lactifers, or pigment in the pileipellis.

Description of basidiome based on information from further collections

Pileus very variable in size from 3-20 mm diam., parabolic, with slight umbo when young to convex with age, never flattening, brilliant crimson, sometimes darker in centre to pinkish towards the margin, surface very finely fibrillose under a lens (Fibrils darker red), dry, pellucid striate to 2/3 distance from the edge, margin smooth to unevenly crenulate when older, becoming darker red with age; drying brick-red lo black, depending on fresh state and speed of drying. Lamellae adnexed, ascending, in 3 series but irregularly so (e.g., 1 long, 1 intermediate, 1 short, 1 long), up to 16 reaching the stipe, pinkish, usually with a conspicuously red, fimbriate margin when fresh, although colour may fade, medium width (2-3 mm), not crowded, somewhat ventricose. Stipe 15-55 X 2 mm, bright red (7E6), darker at base, paler above (dark where it joins the cap), smooth, shining, hollow, even for most of length but slightly swollen at the base which bears conspicuous, coarse, red hairs (colour retained on drying), fragile, exuding blood red latex when broken; drying dark red to black. Taste unknown, odour said to be of iodiform.

Microscopically, there is some variability among the collections in the degree of branching both of the apex of the cheilocystidia and of the elements of the pileipellis. Some ventricose elements with very irregular apices among the cheilocystidia appear to be the endings of lactifers, more swollen than those detected in the type material. There seemed no evidence of caulocystidia or terminal cells, the stipe cortex being smooth except for emerging hairs near the base. Clamp connections were fairly frequent. The conidia-like bodies were found in most of the material examined.

ETYMOLOGY: ura is Maori for crimson red the colour pohutukawa flowers (Metrosideros excelsa Sol. et Gaert.).

M. ura is one of the commonly collected species of Mycena in New Zealand forests, possibly rendered more conspicuous by its bright red colour. The lack of caulocystidia and the persistently red stipe after drying makes the assigning of this fungus to either of Maas Geesteranus sections Galactopoda or Sanguinolentae problematical. Microscopically it has much in common wit. M. haematopus (Pers.: Fr.) Kummer ( = "haematopoda") described by Maas Geesteranus (1988), but macroscopically M. haematopus is a much more robust, drab-coloured fungus. Singer (1969) believed M. miniata Stevenson might be the same as M. haematopoda var. chilensis Sing. Horak (1983), in his discussion of the fungal biogeography of the South Pacific, included M. haematopoda Pers.: Fr. as a southern species but did not include M. miniata as a synonym of it, evidently believing the latter to be a distinct species. Certainly his description (1979) of M. haematopoda in Tierra del Fuego as sub fasciculate, pale to dark dull vinaceous, lamellae whitish, with vinaceous juice, and of the Chilean var. by Raitelhuber (1987) as dull chestnut or reddish chestnut with chestnut juice, does not appear to relate to M. ura with its usually bright red colours. The red colour of the pileus, the red juice, the red hairs at the base of the stipe and the conidia-like structures associated with the pileipellis are cry characteristic of this fungus.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to the colour and poroid appearance of the hymenophore.

Overall red-vinaceous colouring, strongly interveined lamellae, amyloid spores, simple cheilocystidia and little differentiated pileipellis place this fungus in Mycena sect. Calodontes (Fr.: Berk.) Quel. The darker edge to the lamellae places it in subsection Marginatae J. E. Lange. The conspicuous interveining and absence of pleurocystidia suggest a closer relationship with M. violacella (Speg.) Sing., subsection Violacellae, but this subsection is characterised by having inamyloid spores (Maas Geesteranus 1989). M. tesselata (Mont.) Dennis, which Pegler (1983) groups with M. pearsoniana Dennis ex Sing. and M. violacella as having interveined lamellae and lacking pleurocystidia, also has weakly amyloid spores like M. vinaceipora. The basis of Maas Geesteranus 1989 subdivision of the section Calodontes may need revision when further extra limital species are described. Another representative of the section Calodontes commonly found in New Zealand is M. fuscovinacea Stevenson which with its strong resemblance to M. pura (Pers.: Fr.) Kummer, would belong in subsection Purae.