COLLECTIONS EXAMINED: Under (1) L. ericoides, Auckland, Titirangi, Feb, Apr 1966, Mar, Apr 1967, R.F.R. McN., 25022, 25085, 25653, 25664, 25752; May 1966, R.J. McN., 25173; Henderson Valley, Sharp's Bush, Jun 1966, R.F.R. McN., 25219; (2) L. ericoides and L. scoparium, Titirangi, Jun 1932 M. Hodgkins, 3845; 13 Jun 1964, R.F.R. McN., (HOLOTYPE, PDD 24629); Jun 1964, R. S. Lediard, 24630; Jun 1965, R.F.R. McN., 24632-3; R.S.L., 24631; (3) rotten wood, Henderson Stream, Jun 1932, 3847.

PILEUS: convex to plano-convex, 4-8 cm diam., subtomentose and dry when young, subglabrous to glabrous and slightly viscid in patches at maturity, mouse grey, reddish brown, mahogany, or date brown with yellow patches and streaks, cherry red where context is exposed by insects. Cuticle a fragmentary trichodermium when young, becoming disorganised at maturity and composed of repent, sparingly interwoven, septate hyphae with brown contents, terminal cells often irregularly inflated to 12µm, frequently projecting at right angles to surface; margin entire. HYMENOPHORE: tubes to 6 mm long, adnate or slightly excavated around apex of stipe, dull yellow when young, becoming bright golden yellow at maturity; pores concolorous with tubes or discoloured reddish brown in places, angular, 0.5-0.75 mm diam.; bluing where damaged. STIPE: 3-5 cm long, equal or expanded basally, 1-2 cm diam., stuffed or hollow at maturity, subglabrous to finely subvelutinate from a close palisade of caulocystidia, faintly longitudinally striate apically, concolorous with hymenophore or with red tints apically, reddish yellow at mid point, typically bright red basally; flesh pallid yellow, bluing; annulus absent. SPORES: spore print khaki (Tawny-Olive); spores melleous, broadly elliptic-subfusiform, 8.4-10.8-01.5) X 4-5 µm, smooth. HYMENIUM: basidia hyaline, clavate, 27-42 X 8-10.8 µm, 4-spored; cystidia numerous, scattered, hyaline or brownish, obclavate to narrowly ventricose-rostrate, 39-60 X 6-11.5 µm. HYMENOPHORAL TRAMA: bilateral, of a modified Boletus subtype, mediostratum strongly pigmented; clamp connections absent. CONTEXT OF PILEUS: pallid lemon yellow, rapidly bluing on exposure to air, occasionally with red tints around larvae tunnels. TASTE AND SMELL: not distinctive. CHEMICAL REACTIONS: KOH on pileus and context of pileus—no reaction; NH4OH on pileus—no reaction; on context—blue.

HABITAT: Solitary, gregarious, or caespitose under Leptospermum, occasionally on rotten wood.

Pileus convexus ad plano-convexum, 4-8 cm diam., siccus et subtomentosus ubi juvenilis, viscidulus et subglaber ubi maturus, griseus, rufobrunneus vel brunneus cum flavis maculis et lineis. Tubi adnati ad subexcavatos, lucide aurei; pori angulares, 0.5-0.75 mm diam.; cyanescentes ubi laesi. Stipes 3-5 cm longus, plus minusve aequalis, 1-2 cm diam., apicaliter aureus ad rufum suffusus, ad medium fulvus, basaliter coccineus. Sporarum massa olivaceo-brunnea; sporae late elliptico-subfusiformes, 8.4-10.2 X 4-5 µm., leves. Typus Auckland Province, Titirangi, 13 Jun 1964, R.F.R. McN., PDD 24629.