Cortinarius sectio Cremeolinae Soop sect. nov.Comments. This is an austral section of phlegmacioid fungi, morphologically similar to the boreal sect. Multiformes. The section is monophyletic, forming a sister clade to Multiformes (Figure 6; cf. Brandrud et al. 2014; Liimatainen et al. 2014). The Australian taxon is the only secotioid member.

Cortinarius sectio Cycnei Soop sect. nov. Basidiomata agaricoid or secotioid. Pileus and stipe viscid to glutinous, rarely hygrophanous, ± glabrous with white, brownish, or violet hues. Lamellae/gleba whitish or violaceous when young. Stipe cylindrical to slightly clavate, viscid. Universal veil hyaline, often with a pale violet tinge. Alkaline reaction weak or absent. Spores elliptic to amygdaloid, 9–14 µm long, moderately to rather coarsely verrucose. In native forests, mostly associated with Nothofagaceae. Australasia and Patagonia. Comments. This is a section of myxacioid fungi confined to the southern hemisphere. The section is monophyletic (Figure 6). Even if the genetic support is modest (60%), the section is morphologically rather homogeneous. The Australian taxon is the only secotioid member, and the only member currently associated with myrtaceous plants.

Comments. Available molecular data indicate that the species belongs to the bihemispherical section Obtusi Melot, where it is a typical member: small with a dry red-brown pileus, a whitish stipe, and a faint odour of iodoform. However, the lamellae do not exhibit the differentiated cheilocystidia that are prominent on several taxa in the section. Cortinarius amblyonis also recalls the New Zealand species Cortinarius paraoniti Soop and Cortinarius saturniorum Soop, which both grow in Nothofagaceae forest.

Comments. This fungus, characterised by the bright golden pileus, punctuated by white granules, may evoke a Pholiota in sect. Flammans. Cortinarius peraureus Soop is somewhat similar, but lacks the granulose pileipellis structure and possesses a more robust habit. Available molecular data place C. chrysoconius in an isolated position.

Comments. Cortinarius cremeorufus resembles C. cremeolina, but presents an amber pileus and is the only agaricoid taxon in the section that grows with myrtaceous trees, characters that make it easy to determine.

Comments. The interesting colour combination of the pileus of this small but decorative fungus recalls certain flowers. It is further characterised by reddish lamellae and veil, and subglobose spores. Cortinarius cypripedii superficially resembles several other small, vividly coloured cortinars in the forests of New Zealand: Cortinarius viscilaetus Soop is viscid; Cortinarius palissandrinus Soop is more evenly coloured without an orange tinge; and Cortinarius ignellus presents paler pileal hues and a strong alkaline reaction. Available molecular data also show these taxa to be genetically disparate, while C. cypripedii is placed in the bihemispherical section Illumini Liimat. et al., which mainly contains red-brown taxa with subglobose spores.

Comments. A rare phlegmacioid species presenting generally ochraceous hues, and characterised by its remarkably narrow and fuse-shaped spores. Cortinarius dulcamarus recalls certain forms of Cortinarius orixanthus Soop, described from the same habitat in New Zealand; however, the latter produces a yellow veil and wider spores. A BLAST search reveals its close affinity to Cortinarius verniciorum Soop, another viscid, yellowbrown species with fusoid spores, but smaller and telamonioid in habit.

Comments. This attractive but rare phlegmacioid fungus presents bright and warm colours with an apricot tinge on the pileus and violet lamellae. It recalls several other species described from the same habitat in New Zealand: Cortinarius bellus E. Horak has a viscid stipe and longer spores, Cortinarius ionomataius Soop exhibits similar colours but is dry, and Cortinarius artosus Soop has a bulbous stipe. A BLAST search has revealed no close genetic relative.

Comments. This is a small dermocyboid fungus with a remarkably green coloration and a strong alkaline reaction, consistent with the presence of anthraquinonic pigments. Superficially it evokes species of Hygrocybe or Entoloma. According to available sequences, Cortinarius lachanus belongs to a small clade that includes the Australian species C. walkeri Cooke & Mass. (syn. C. austrovenetus Cleland) and the Patagonian species C. elaphinus M. M. Moser (data not shown).

Comments. This small, dermocyboid fungus is easily taken for a Mycena in the field, due to its bonnet-shaped pileus and thin stipe. Cortinarius mycenarum is dark red all over (cf. M. haematopus) like a few other small cortinars in New Zealand, which all produce narrower spores. Of these, Cortinarius vinicolor (E. Horak) G. Garnier in the same habitatmay be closest in habit, whereas Cortinarius cruentoides Soop grows in association with myrtaceous trees. A BLAST search reveals no close genetic relative, but available sequences indicate a position basal to several dermocyboid clades.

Comments. A small grey fungus characterised by the remarkable smoky or cloudy appearance of the cutis, especially when young, and by the reddish lamellae and reddish veil remnants on the stipe. A BLAST search reveals no close genetic relative. Cortinarius mysoides is rather similar to Cortinarius rattinus Soop and to Cortinarius rattinoides Soop, which however, both display bluish lamellae. They also exhibit different molecular markers, placing the latter in the bihemispherical section Anomali Konrad & Maubl.

Comments. This is a robust species with a violaceous tint in lamellae and context and a copious, yellowish veil. It recalls Cortinarius xenosma Soop and Cortinarius cupreonatus Soop, but is generally larger with larger spores. Available molecular data place C. trichocarpus near the Rozites-like Cortinarius wallacei Soop. Moreover, the species may be regarded as an agaricoid form of a morphospecies that includes the secotioid Cortinarius ohauensis (Soop) Peintner & M. Moser, since their sequences (ITS + LSU) deviate by only four nuclear substitutions. The species has not been recorded again in New Zealand, but it was deemed worth publishing it in this study in view of its importance for the taxonomy of the genus.

Comments. A small greyish species, typically presenting a clavate stipe and a matt, slightly grainy coating. It evokes cortinars in sections Malachii (e.g. C. urbicus Fr.) and Anomali. Available molecular markers place C. urbiculus close to Cortinarius laquellus Soop, which deviates by possessing a viscid surface and a thin stipe. Both are closely related to the Lustrati clade (cf. Ammirati et al. 2007).

Comments. A typical cortinar in subgenus Myxacium with a thick gluten on most of the basidiome. Cortinarius vitreofulvus resembles the very common C. vitreopileatus E. Horak, which may be separated by its pale pileus colour and moderately verrucose spores. From available molecular data the genetic affinity to the latter is also evident, although its closest relative appears to be Cortinarius marmoratus E. Horak, characterised by a dark, chocolate-coloured pileus and violet lamellae. According to the protologue, Cortinarius viscostriatus E. Horak (Horak & Wood 1990) can be separated by its pale colours and minutely warty spores.

Comments. This telamonioid fungus looks like Cortinarius xenosma Soop, but without the typical reddish tinge on the stipe. It also deviates by being more slender in average habit, and by the brick-coloured lamellae. Available molecular data show that the two species aregenetically remote, placing C. xenosmatoides near several dermocyboid species, such as Cortinarius cardinalis (E. Horak) G. Garnier and Cortinarius canarius (E. Horak) Gasparini. This is remarkable, since it is a definitely telamonioid species, apparently lacking in anthraquinonic pigments as witnessed by the absent alkaline reaction.