Type: Sooty Moulds and Similar Fungi; Description: Subiculum superficial, tufted to velutinous or spongy, dark brown to black; on bark of trunks or rarely on leaves. Mycelium composed of repent and erect, brown to dark olivaceous brown, septate, very coarsely warted, moniliform hyphae, up to 16 μm wide, tapering toward their distal ends; erect hyphae may fragment into single barrel-shaped cells or into lengths 2–8 cells long. Conidia ovoid to ellipsoid, 1-septate just above the middle, thick-walled, 12–13 × 7–9 μm, brown to dark brown.

Distribution: Auckland, Westland, North Canterbury, Mid Canterbury.; 1st Record: Hughes (1981b).

Significance: None.; Host(s): Leptospermum scoparium, Nothofagus fusca, N. solandri var. cliffortioides, Olearia rani, Pittosporum ellipticum, Weinmannia racemosa.

COLLECTIONS: (1,2) on bark of Leptospermum scoparium, Auckland Province, Waitakere Range, (1) Sharp's Bush, 26.1X. 1963, S.J.H., DAOM 97384e, (2) Piha Stream, Piha, II.V1.1963, J.M.D., DAOM 97369d; (3) bark at base of trunk of Nothofagus fusca, Westland, Granville Forest, Orwell Creek, Ahaura, 2.1V. 1963, S.J.H., PDD 36102 (DAOM 106914): (4) Nothofagus fusca, Canterbury Prov., Woolshed Hill, Hawdon Valley, 16.V.1963, S.J.H., PDD 21100 (DAOM 96680a); (5) trunk of Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides. North Canterbury, near Ashley Gorge, 14.V. 1963, J.M.D., DAOM 105937b; (6) wood and bark of trunk of living Olearia rani, Auckland Prov., Waitakere Range, Fairy Falls Track, 7.VIII. 1963, J.M.D., DAOM 106911; (7) on leaves of Pittosporum ellipticum, Auckland Prov., Upper Piha Valley, Waitakere Range, 30.XI. 1966, J.M.D., PDD 25881 (DAOM 117322c); (8) bark of Weinmannia racemosa, Auckland Prov., Mangorewa Gorge, 20.111.1963, S.J.H., DAOM 106383b.

Subicula dull dark brown to black, superficial, effuse, tufted to velutinous to spongy, often mixed with a variety of other sooty moulds. Mycelium composed of repent and erect, brown to dark olivaceous brown, anastomosing, septate, moniliform and very coarsely warted hyphae which taper toward their distal end. Upright hyphae are straight or flexuous, sparingly branched and darker than the repent hyphae. The cells are as broad as or broader than long being subglobose and up to 16.2 µm wide; the younger distal cells are as narrow as 5.5 µm. Fragmentation of erect hyphae into single, broadly barrel-shaped cells and into lengths of hyphae 2 to 8 cells long can occur by schizolytic secession. Also some upright hyphae bear lateral branches composed of chains of up to 4 conidia, which are 3 to 4(-7) cells long, separated from each other by successively deeper constrictions which are sometimes so deep as to suggest porogenous development of the conidia but none was observed developing at an apparent pore. Such conidia are cylindrical to ovoid, (1)2-5(6)-septate and measure (12.5-)16-36(-50) x 8.3-10.8(-12.5)µm: they secede readily.
Capnobotrys synanamorph. Distinctive conidiophores are lacking; conidiogenous cells are borne in a unilateral series or in irregular clusters on the lower surface of slightly bent ends of otherwise undifferentiated hyphae and in unilateral series or clusters on the lower surface of short, downwardly curved, 1- to 3-septate branches on the larger hyphae. Conidiogenous cells are globose, coarsely roughened below, brown to dark brown, paler at the distal end, becoming obpyriform by extension during conidium production: they measure 5.4-9 x 5.4-6.8 µm and at maturity bear short narrow denticles after schizolytic conidium secession. Conidia are blastically produced on successive new growing points. Conidium initials are at first spherical and they can elongate unilaterally or obliquely so that they are borne at right angles or obliquely to the point of attachment. Conidia are dry, ovoid to ellipsoidal, sometimes inequilateral, 1-septate just above the middle, thick-walled, at first smooth, finally roughened, brown to dark brown with the proximal (basal) cell usually broader and slightly longer than the distal cell with a minute and inconspicuous oblique or lateral scar: the distal cell has an apical or obliquely located paler and thinner-walled area. Smooth conidia measure 11.7-12.6 x 7.2-8.5 µm and frequently anastomose one with another; older conidia expand slightly, are rough-walled, slightly constricted at the septa and are up to 16.5 x 10 µm.
Capnophialophora synanamorph. Phialides are uncommon and occur singly and scattered or in sparse groups on repent and erect hyphae: they are sessile or one or two may be borne on a 1-to 3-celled stalk. They are flask-shaped with a subglobose to broadly ellipsoidal venter, which is brown, waited, and 5-6.5 µm wide with a single paler subcylindrical collarette 2.5-3.6 µm long and 3.6 µm wide. The whole phialide is up to 10 µm long. No phialoconidia have been seen.
Metacapnodium teleomorph. Ascostromata brown, bearing hyphal appendages 35-100 µm long on the upper part. Asci bitunicate, ellipsoidal. Ascospores irregularly biseriate, ellipsoidal, sometimes inequilateral, brown to dark brown, 3-septate, 18-21.5(-23.5) x 9-10.8 µm, thick-walled, with a paler, thinner-walled area just above the base and below the apex.
Too few ascostromata were found on DAOM 106911 to serve as an adequate type collection.

On corticated trunks and branches and on leaves of dicotyledons.

Subiculum atrobrunneum vel atrum, effusum, cristatum vel velutinum vel spongiosum. Mycelium superficiale, ex hyphis ramosis, apicem versus subulatis, septatis, moniliformibus, hie illic ad septas profunde constrictis, brunneis vel atro-olivaceo-brunneis, fortiter verrucosis, ad 16.2 µm lat., cellulis terminalibus angustioribus ad 5.5 µm lat., compositum. Hyphae denique in fragmenta 1-8-cellulata secedentes. Cellulae conidiogenae botryosae vel polystichae apicem versus hypharum erectarum unilateraliter affixae nec non unilateraliter in ramis lateralibus curvatis 1-3-septatis, globosae, verrucosae, brunneae vel atrobrunneae, 5.4-9 x 5.4-6.8 µm, ad maturitatem obpyriformiae et apicem versus denticulis brevis praeditae. Conidia ovoidea vel ellipsoidea, aliquando inaequilaterales, 1-septata, cellulis inaequalibus (cellula terminali parviore), crasso-tunicata, laevia, brunnea vel atrobrunnea, 11.7-12.6 x 7.2-8 µm, cicatrice laterali vel obliquo in cellula basali praedita; denique parce inflata, ad septas parce constricta verruculosaque et ad 16.5 x 10 µm.
Synanamorphosis: Capnophialophora.
Teleomorphosis: Metacapnodium.

NOTES: Capnobotrys atro-olivacea can be differentiated amongst other sooty moulds by its dull, dark olivaceous brown colour, a feature that is also found in C. pacifica (q.v. infra).

Holotypus: m cortice Nothofagi fuscae. Nova Zelandia, "Westland, Granville Forest, Orwell Creek, Ahaura", 2.IV.1963, S. J. Hughes, PDD 36102 (DAOM 106914)