EPACRIDACEAE. Cyathodes fasciculata: Auckland, Orere, Hunua Ranges, 300 m, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 12482.

Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, adherent, effused forming linear areas to 10 x 1 cm; hymenial surface white, then pallid cream, finally creviced; margin thinning out, white, fibrillose, adherent. Context white, 100-150 µ thick, basal layer of a few intertwined hyphae, intermediate layer scanty, of erect hyphae, embedding masses of crystals; generative hyphae to 4 µ diameter, walls 0.25 µ thick, naked, with clamp connections. Acanthophyses coralloid, arising from the base of the intermediate layer and forming the bulk of the hymenial layer, apically branched and covered with fine spines, some of the pedicels spinose, others naked. Gloeocystidia arising in the basal layer, some penetrating the hymenium, narrowly ovate, clavate, or broadly fusiform, 50-80 x 20-28 µ, apically crowned with irregular spinous processes. Hymenial layer to 60 µ deep, a scattered palisade of basidia, paraphyses, acanthophyses, and gloeocystidia. Basidia cylindrical, 50-65 x 12-14 µ, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata arcuate, subulate, to 16 µ long. Paraphyses cylindrical, fusiform, subclavate, or obclavate, irregular, 30-60 x 8-12 µ. Spores elliptical or obovate, strongly apiculate, 16-22 x 8-12 µ, walls delicately verruculose, hyaline, 0.5 µ thick, amyloid.

TYPE LOCALITY: Hunua Ranges, Auckland, New Zealand. DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark of dead branches and twigs.

Spines on spore walls may be seen only with an oil immersion objective, unless spores are treated with Melzer's reagent, when they become more conspicuous. Masses of crystals, often discoloured, are embedded in tissues of the context. Gloeocystidia are large, conspicuous, and bear irregular spines at or near apices. Acanthophyses are of the coralloid type but more delicate and thin-walled than those of A. coralloides. In macrofeatures the species resembles A. aurantium, and in New Zealand both develop upon the same host plant. Separation may be made by the different gloeocystidia and spores.