CONIFERAE. Dacrydium cupressinum: Auckland, Te Whaiti, 500 m. Westland, Pukekura, 120 m. Pinus radiata: Auckland, Waikato Heads, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7076.

Hymenophore annual or biennial, membranous, widely effused with reflexed margins, or resupinate, then forming irregular linear areas to 15 x 2-5 cm. Pilei reflexed margins of broad resupinate areas, to 5 mm radius; pileus surface chestnut, tomentose, with lighter margins; hymenial surface ochre, ferruginous when old, velutinate, at length finely areolately creviced; margin of resupinate plants thinning out, even, pallid ochre, adherent. Context ochre, to 400 µ thick, in first growth plants composed of a basal layer of mainly parallel hyphae, in older plants almost wholly occupied by the metuloid layer, or of as many as three layers with context hyphae between; generative hyphae 4-4.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, naked, with clamp connections. Metuloid layer 80-300 µ thick, in 1-3 layers; metuloids scarcely projecting, irregular in shape and size, subclavate, subfusiform, or subulate, often flexuous or distorted, some inflated near centres or bases, 25-90 x 4-12 µ, apices bluntly acuminate, encrusted on the upper half, lower part naked, often coloured, staining deeply; in the basal region of old plants metuloids are frequently tinted, elongated, sparsely encrusted, lying parallel or at various angles. Hymenial layer to 70 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses, and metuloids. Basidia subcylindrical, 24-30 x 3 - 5-4 µ, bearing 2-4 spores; sterigmata erect, slender, to 5 µ long. Paraphyses cylindrical, 16-22 x 3.5-4 µ. Spores elliptical, with oblique apiculi, or suballantoid, 4-5 x 2.5-3 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

TYPE LOCALITY: Waikato Heads, Auckland, New Zealand.
DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark of dead branches.

Pilei effuso-reflexi, angusti, ad 5 mm radium vel resupinatus est; superficie castanea, tomentosa; superficies hymenii ochracea, mature ferruginea, velutinata, subtiliter areolato rimosa. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae fibulatae, 4-4.5 µ diam. Metuloids subclavata, subfusiformia vel subulata saepe distorta, 25-90 x 4-12 µ, apicibus acuminatis, in superiore parte incrustatis, pedicillis nudis, saepe coloratis. Basidia cylindricalia, 24-30 x 3.5-4 µ, 2-4 sporis. Sporae ellipticae vel suballantoides, 4-5 x 2.5-3 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis. On dead bark of Pinus radiata, Waikato Heads, Auckland, N.Z

From L. crassa the species is separated by the much smaller, distorted and irregular, more coarsely encrusted metuloids, smaller spores, and different colour and texture of the hymenophore. Metuloids show unusual diversity in size and shape, are encrusted on their upper half, naked below, most are tinted and stain deeply with aniline blue. Produced in large numbers, they are at first arranged vertically in a layer of two or three overlapping rows. As plants age the metuloid layer becomes deeper, in one collection forming a continuous zone 300 µ deep, in a second composed of three layers with intertwined hyphae between. In the first collection the context is well developed, occupying the greater part of the fructification and composed of parallel hyphae embedding numerous slender metuloids. In a third thick specimen metuloids occupy most of the context, and are inserted in many overlapping rows, either with context hyphae between, or forming a continuous layer. Most fructifications are resupinate, two being reflexed with narrow pileate margins.

Clark, A. F., (1933) recorded that a fungus was also associated with the death of trees resulting from a heavy infestation of the Sirex wood wasp (Sirex noctilio). Rawlings and Wilson (1949) demonstrated that this wood wasp also inoculated unthrifty pine trees with a pathogenic fungus (when it laid its eggs). This ftmgus was shown by King (1966) to be identical with Amylostereum chailletii (Fr.) Boidin. Gilmour (1965a) recorded that between 1946-51 many pine trees in plantations in South Auckland were killed by this fungus and wood wasp.