Hymenophore annual, membranous, adnate, effused forming linear areas to 17 x 2 cm; hymenial surface at first olivaceous, becoming fuscus or sepia, delicately pubescent, even, not creviced; margin thinning out, fibrillose, adnate, concolorous. Context olivaceous or fuscus, 100-160 µ thick, intermediate layer of irregularly arranged mainly skeletal hyphae, basal layer narrow, of densely compacted generative hyphae; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 4-6 µ diameter, walls 1-2 µ thick in the subhymenial hyphae, lumen almost capillary in the basal hyphae, chestnut-brown to fuscus, septate, sparsely branched and coated with occasional calcium crystals; generative hyphae to 4 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, septate, freely branched, naked, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer a scanty palisade of basidia and paraphyses interrupted by projecting pseudosetae. Basidia projecting, subclavate, some cucurbitiform, often geniculated, soon collapsed, 35-58 x 8-10 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata erect, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, about half the length and diameter of the basidia. Pseudosetae formed from projecting ends of skeletal hyphae, forming the surface of the hymenium and embedding the basidia; 4-6 µ diameter, walls 1-2 µ thick, septate, chestnut-brown, naked or bearing occasional crystals. Spores obovate, with rounded apices and apiculate bases, ovate, oval, or broadly fusiform with bluntly pointed ends, apiculate, 9-13 x 6-7.5 µ, walls smooth, fuscus, 0.75 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark of dead branches.

Hymenophorum annuum, membranaceum, adnatum, effusum; superficies hymenii olivacea deinde fusca vel sepiacca, tenuiter pubescens, aequa, fibrilloso, adnato, concoloro margine. Contextus olivaceus vel fuscus; hypharum systema dimiticum; hyphae skeletales crassis, castaneis vel fuscis parietibus, raris calcii crystalli; hyphae generatoriae hyalinis, tenuibus parietibus, enodulosae. Basidia subclavata vel cucurbitiformis, 35-58 x 8-10 µ. Pseudosetae ex extremis skeletalibus hyphis finctae, 4-6 µ diam., castaneis parietibus nudis vel raris crystallis. Sporae obovatae, ovales vel late fusiformes, apiculatae, 9-13 x 6-7.5 µ, fuscus parietibus, 0.75 µ crassis.

A well defined species which may be recognized by the following features. Colonies are effused, closely adnate, olivaceous or sepia, almost black when old, with concolorous margins. The hyphal system is dimitic, the only species seen with such a feature. Skeletal hyphae are deeply coloured, thick-walled, and apices of the upper hyphae project through the hymenial layer to form the hymenial surface, embedding basidia and paraphyses. Generative hyphae are thin-walled, hyaline, and at the base become compacted to form the basal layer which in old specimens appears almost pseudoparenchymatous. Basidia are irregular in shape and soon collapse. The species links Coniophora with Duportella; for it possesses typical spores of the former, and pseudosetae of the latter.

Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Kauri Park, Birkdale, January, 1956, S.D. Brook. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Auckland: Rangitoto Island, June, 1947, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 5541.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, adnate, effused forming small linear areas to 6 x 2 cm; hymenial surface tan or ochraceous, delicately pruinose, even, not creviced; margin thinning out, fibrillose, adnate, tan. Context to 500 µ thick, tan, of woven hyphae not organised into intermediate and basal layers; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3-5 µ diameter, walls 1-1.5 µ thick, clear fuscus, branched, sparsely septate, often inflated between septa, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 65 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia cylindrical, 30-55 x 6-7 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, slender, to 8 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, about half the length and diameter of the basidia. Spores obovate, elliptical, a few subglobose, with apices rounded and bases apiculate, 7-9 x 5-6.5 µ, walls olivaceous, smooth, 0.5 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on decorticated wood.

Hymenophorum annuum, membranaceum, adnatum, effusum; superficies hymenii alutacea vel ochracea, tenuiter pruinosa, aequa, fibrilloso, adnato, alutacea margine. Contextus alutaceus. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae hyalinis, tenuibus parietibus, enodulosae. Basidia cylindricalia, eminentia, 30-55 x 6-7 µ. Sporae obovatae, ellipticae vel aliquot subglobosae, apiculatae, 7-9 x 5-6.5 µ, olivaceis parietibus, 0.5 µ crassis.

Specific features are the monomitic hyphal system with sepia or fuscous coloured thick-walled hyphae, small spores and rather slender, projecting, cylindrical basidia. Spores are the smallest of the species described.

Vitex lucens Kirk Auckland: Oratia, 600ft, May, 1953, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 12549.

Cupressus macrocarpa Hartn. Auckland: Cornwallis, 50ft, September, 1953, J.D. Atkinson. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Pureora, G.B. Rawlings.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, adnate, effused forming numerous elliptical colonies 2-18 x 2-3 cm; hymenial surface at first ochre, then chestnut, finally olivaceous towards the centre, even, minutely velutinate, tardily areolately creviced; margin thinning out, arachnoid-fibrillose, cream or pallid ochre, adnate, forming a broad border 2-10 mm wide. Context cream to ochre, 200-750 µ thick, of woven hyphae not differentiated into intermediate and basal layers; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 2.5-4 µ diameter, walls 0.5 µ thick, hyaline, freely branched and septate, sometimes inflated between septa, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 95 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses, gloeocystidia and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, projecting, 35-50 x 8-10 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, about half the length and diameter of the basidia, sometimes cylindrical and acuminate. Gloeocystidia arising in the base of the hymenium, when projecting to 40 µ, and at different levels in the context, cylindrical, often strangulated near the apices, 70-95 x 8-12 µ, walls hyaline, naked, 0.25 µ thick. Spores subglobose, oval, elliptical, or obovate, 12-18 x 8-11 µ, with rounded apices and apiculate bases; walls smooth, fuscus, 0.75-1 µ thick.

TYPE LOCALITY: North Island, New Zealand.
DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark of dead branches and trunks.

Specific features are the hyaline generative hyphae, conspicuous hyaline gloeocystidia, large spores, effused adnate colonies with pallid broad margins and the central area becoming olivaceous and creviced. Spores may range in shape from subglobose to obovate, reach a length of 18 µ, and walls may become thickened to 1 µ. Gloeocystidia are abundant, naked, project for about half their length, aseptate, thin walled and possess contents which stain deeply with aniline blue. They exhibit all features of similar organs present in certain species of Corticium and Peniophora, so are regarded as gloeocystidia and not cystidia. Occasional hyphae are inflated between septa, a condition also present in C. betulae, C. minor and C. olivacea. Paraphysate hyphae occur in the hymenial layer of actively developing specimens and, as plants age, collapse and tend to disappear.
Although Massee (1906, 30) stated that there was no specimen of Corticium viride in Kew herbarium, the type, ex "North Island, N.Z., Colenso" is present nevertheless, filed under the cover of Coniophora viridis. Portion of the same collection has been placed under the cover of Thelephora viridis (= Tomentella viridis (Berk.) G.H. Cunn.). Massee (1889, 130) stated that spores were 25-30 x 17-20 µ, an error later compiled by Cooke in his "Handbook of Australian Fungi" (1892, 195).