Holotype (K): 'Johnson's Hill, Wellington, N.Z.; leg. Stevenson 642, 12.VI.1949'. - Herb. HK. ZT 68/124 (PDD 27023): 'Nelson Creek, Kopara, Ngahere, Prov. Westcoast, N.Z.; leg. Horak. 10.111.1968'. Herb. HK. ZT 69/30: ‘Matakitaki, S of Murchison, Prov. Nelson, N.Z., leg. Horak, 28.1.1969'.

Pileus 10-30 mm diam., hemispherical or convex at first, becoming conical, aged carpophores mostly plane with pronounced papilla at the centre, white turning pink or pink-beige, very densely covered by radial, white fibrils, forming a felt-like weft or sometimes also with fine squamules, membranous, striate near the margin, dry. Lamellae (L 8-14, l 3) adnate to adnexed, occasionally emarginate, white becoming deep pink, gill edge white and fimbriate. Stipe 10-40 x 1-3 mm, cylindrical, often bent, white or hyaline, densely covered by white, silky fibrils, apically also pruinose (in young specimens), dry, hollow, fragile. Context white. Taste and odor strongly farinaceous.
Spores 8-10 x 6-8.5 µm, 5-sided. Basidia 30-35 x 8-10 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 35-60 x 7-12 µm, capitate-fusoid, sometimes even lecythiform, often irregularly constricted, membrane thin-walled and hyaline. Pleuro- and caulocystidia none. Cuticle a cutis of repent, cylindrical hyphae (6-9 µm diam.), membrane not gelatinized, pigment lacking or encrusting. Clamp connections absent, or very scanty.

On rotten wood or sawdust of Nothofagus spp., Dacrydium cupressinum or Podocarpus spp. New Zealand.

 Stevenson 1962: 1.c.

E. niveum is closely related to E. albidum Hesler which differs in several minor characters only. According to Hesler the North American species does not grow on rotten wood but on soil.
The relationship of E. niveum with E. pluteoides Hk. is obvious but the two species can be easily separated by the following characters: colour and structure of the cuticle, attachment of the lamellae, presence or absence of cystidia and localization of the pigment.

Material. - New Zealand: Wellington, Johnson's Hill, 12.VI.1949, leg. Stevenson (K, 642, holotype). - For further collections see Horak (1973:31).

Habitat: - On rotten wood of Nothofagus sp. and conifers. - New Zealand.

Illustrations. - Stevenson (1962:1.c.); Horak (1973:32).

[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Kew images.

Pileus 2-4 cm. diam., snow-white, hemispherical at first, then becoming plane, covered with a fine, felt like weft; flesh creamy-white. Gills adnexed, moderately crowded, creamy becoming stained pale-pink. Stipe 3-4 cm. x 4 mm., white, with ochraceous tinge at base, silky-striate, more or less equal, solid, creamy coloured flesh continuous with that of cap. Spores strongly angled, overall shape rather cuboid, 7 x 10-11um; print dark-pink; no cystidia.

rooting in soil among litter, Johnson's Hill, Wellington, 12.9.1949, Stevenson.

Pileus 2-4 cm. diam., niveus, ex hemisphaerico explanatus, tela tomentosa delicatula vestitus; caro cremeo-albida. Lamellae adnexae, subconfertae, cremeae, dein pallide roseo-tinctae. Stipes 3-4 cm. x 4 mm., albus, basi ochraceo-tinctus, sericeo-striatus, subaequalis, solidus, carne cremea et cum carne pilei continua. S'orae 7 x 10-11um, valde angulatae, prope cubicae, in cumulo obscure roseae. Cystidia nulla.

Stevenson 642.