Phyllocladus alpinus Hook. f. Wellington: Maungatorutoru Valley, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, March, 1948, J.M. Dingley; Whakapapa Valley, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7449.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, brittle when dry, pateriform or cupulate, attached by a small central base, margins free, 2-10 mm diameter; exterior surface finely radiately villose, tan or bay-brown; margin inturned, even, bay-brown; hymenial surface concave, even, cream or pallid ochre. Context white, to 0.3 mm thick, composed of closely arranged parallel hyphae radiating from the point of attachment, tinted towards the margins, intermediate layer wanting; generative hyphae to 4 µ diameter, walls 0.5 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 130 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses, pseudophyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia subclavate, 64-80 x 10-14 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, subulate, to 14 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, about one-third the length and diameter of the basidia. Pseudophyses filiform, slightly projecting, to 4 µ diameter, apices rounded. Gloeocystidia arising from the base of the subhymenium, penetrating the hymenium but not projecting, forming a dense palisade, flexuous-cylindrical, 110-160 x 10-16 µ. Spores globose or subglobose, 14-17 µ diameter, walls sparsely and coarsely aculeate, 0.5-1 µ thick, amyloid, spines to 2.5 µ long, tinted.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Scattered on bark of dead branches.

Hymenophorum membranaceum, pateriforme vel cupulatum, parva media basi adjunctum, marginibus liberis et recurvatis, 2-10 mm diam.; superficies hymenii concave, aequa, cremea vel pallide ochracea. Contextus albus, ad 0.3 mm crassus; hyphae generatoriae ad 4 µ diam., hyalinae, nodulosae, parietibus 0.5 µ crassis. Basidia subclavata, 64-80 x 10-14 µ. Pseudophyses filiformes, ad 4 µ diam. Gloeocystidia flexuoso-cylindricalia, 110-160 x 10-16 µ. Sporae globosae vel subglobosae, 14-17 µ diam., parietibus subtiliter aculeatis, 0.5-1 µ crassis, amyloidibus.

Specific features are the small saucer-shaped pilei with exterior surfaces clothed in downpressed hairs, brittle context; globose aculeate spores and large prominent gloeocystidia forming a dense palisade. In its aculeate spores the species resembles A. amorphus. It differs in that spores are of different shape, much smaller, gloeocystidia are present, and pilei larger and of different shape.
Four species possess fructifications which are at first pateriform with upturned margins, naked cylindrical pseudophyses and cylindrical gloeocystidia. Three are endemic and form a small section which appears to be confined to this region. Pilei of A. patellaeformis and A. pateriformis retain their pateriform shape. Those of A. parmuliformis and A. limonisporus soon coalesce to form effused areas with peripheral margins upturned or plane. Each colony is then indicated by ridges at points of coalescence (A. limonisporus), different lines of colour, or crevices (A. parmuliformis).

Whakapapa Valley, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7449.