Pseudoplectania afinis is macro- and micro-morphologically very similar to the other Pseudoplectania species. The holotype was housed as P. nigrella in PDD Herbarium, but it can be distinguished from this species mainly due to the presence of straight (not coiled) external hairs, more similar to those of P. ericae and P. tasmanica. The present genetic results based on ITS and LSU data, conirm this species should be considered independent from the P. nigrella complex and sister to both P. ericae and P. tasmanica, thus suggesting that the wavy to straight (not coiled) external hairs could be regarded as a good taxonomic character. Only the holotype collection was successfully analyzed since the other morphologically similar collection available (PDD 62464) could not be sequenced due to a persistent contamination. The irst author examined other PDD New Zealand collections previously identiied as P. nigrella, but they were mostly made up of scarce and very small apothecia so molecular analysis was discarded in order to preserve them (see above, studied collections). PDD 41652, 41653 and 41476 consisted in very young, small, mostly immature apothecia with some deviant microscopic features if compared to P. ainis, and so they are here reported as Pseudoplectania cf. ainis. PDD 41652 is probably the most mature of the three since some (but not many) asci contain spores. The external hairs in this collection are less straight but more waving than in the typical collections of P. ainis; and the paraphyses tips are simple and not diverticulated. PDD 41653 (coming from the same site of the previous one) and PDD 41476 consist of few, very young and immature apothecia with waving and slightly coiled external hairs. Further studies on Pseudoplectania collections from New Zealand are required in order to determine the intraspecific variability of P. ainis and the development of paraphyses and external hairs during growth. Pseudoplectania ainis difers from P. ericae by its chorology and larger apothecia, and also by the morphology of paraphyses, external hairs and ectal excipulum. The paraphyses tips of P. ainis seem to be more diverticulate, the external hairs are straighter, and globose elements in the ectal excipulum are less frequent. Despite our genetic results, from a morphological point of view, Pseudoplectania tasmanica (see below) seems to be the most similar to P. ainis. The main characters distinguishing them are undoubtedly the simple, not diverticulated or lobed apex of the paraphyses (overmature sample examined), and the more abundant globose elements in the ectal excipulum in P. tasmanica. Besides we have also noticed an eccentric gelatinous spore sheath in P. tasmanica, not seen in P. ainis.