Type: Sooty Moulds and Similar Fungi; Description: Subiculum, superficial, velutinous, tufted or in compact mounds, dark brown to black; on bark of trunks. Mycelium composed of brown to dark brown septate, coarsely warted, curved, moniliform hyphae, up to 30 μm wide, which taper toward their distal ends. Conidia ovoid, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, thick-walled, 13–18 × 9–11 μm, coarsely warted, brown to dark brown.

Distribution: Buller, North Canterbury.; 1st Record: Hughes (1981b).

Significance: None.; Host(s): Nothofagus fusca, N. truncata.

COLLECTIONS: (1-5) on Nothofagus fusca, Canterbury Province, Woolshed Hill, Hawdon Valley, 16.V.1963, (1) PDD 21100, S.J.H., (DAOM 96680b); (2) DAOM 97379a, S.J.H.; (3) 97053b. S.J.H.; (4) 106806, S.J.H.; (5) PDD 21098, J.M.D., (DAOM 106380); (6) on Nothofagus truncata, Westland, Granville Forest, Mount Elliott, Ahaura, 2.IV. 1963, S.J.H., DAOM 106381.

Mycelium composed of brown to dark brown, anstomosing, septate, moniliform hyphae, which taper markedly toward their distal end. Hyphae are usually curved, with upwardly curved branches originating at right angles, coarsely to sparsely waited throughout. The cells are usually broader than long being doliiform and up to 29 µm wide below and the end cells as narrow as 7 µm.
Capnobotrys synanamorph. Distinctive conidiophores are lacking: conidiogenous cells are borne in regular or irregular cluster's on the slightly bent ends of robust but otherwise undifferentiated hyphae and on short solitary or on a few crowded subterminal branches. Conidiogenous cells occur singly or in pairs, seldom in whorls of 3 or 4, on the penultimate cell and on 1 or 2 cells below the penultimate cell: the terminal cell of such a hypha is also conidiogenous. Solitary conidiogenous cells or clusters of these are produced on the short, solitary or paired 1-or2-septate branches, which arise usually unilaterally on one to three of the subterminal cells of fertile hyphae. Conidiogenous cells are usually crowded, broadly ellipsoidal and coarsely warted through fragmentation, during conidium production, of an outer wall layer: they are brown to dark brown, paler at the distal end, 6.3-11 x 5.4-7.2 µm and at maturity bear crowded scars on short denticles after schizolytic conidium secession. Conidia are blastically produced on successive new growing points. Conidium initials are at first spherical and then broadly ovoid with the long axis parallel with that of the conidiogenous cell. Conidia are dry, ovoid, I-septate, constricted at the septum, thick-walled, very coarsely warted, brown to dark brown with the proximal (basal) cell subglobose and broader and longer than the distal cell with a minute and inconspicuous basal scar. Conidia measure 13-18 x 9-11 µm and in old heads they occasionally anastomose one with another.
Capnophialophora synanamorph. Phialides have been seen on germinated conidia of Capnobotrys australis. They are more or less flask-shaped with a subglobose venter and an ellipsoidal collarette, which is markedly constricted at its base: they measure 10-11 x 5.4-5.8 nm. No phialoconidia were observed.

On corticated trunks of Nothofagus.

Subiculum atrobrunneum vel atrum, effusum, velutinum, cristatum vel rotundatum et spongiosum. Mycelium superficiale, ex hyphis ramosis, apicem versus subulatis, septatis, moniliformibus, brunneis vel atrobrunneis, parum vel fortiter verrucosis, ad 29 µm lat., cellulis terminalibus angustioribus ad 7 µm lat. compositum. Cellulae conidiogenae plus minusve polystichae apicem versus hypharum erectarum unilateraliter affixae nec non in ramulis lateralibus singularibus vel binatis brevis 1- vel 2-septatis, late ellipsoideae, valde verrucosae, brunneae vel atrobrunneae distaliter pallidiores, 6.3-11 x 5.4-7.2 µm et ad maturitatem apicem versus cicatricibus denticulatis praeditae. Conidia ovoidea, 1-septata, ad septas constricta, cellulis inaequalibus (cellula terminali parviore), valde verrucosa, brunnea vel atrobrunnea, 13-18 x 9-11 µm, cicatrice basali in cellula basali praedita.
Synanamorphosis: Capnophialophora.

NOTES: Capnobotrys australis is usually closely associated with and overgrowing the robust and branched erect hyphae of Acrogenotheca elegans (Fraser) Ciferri et Batista and also overgrowing the simple and branched ropes of hyphae of Euantennaria caulicola Hughes. Other species of sooty moulds are also present in these collections.
Capnobotrys australis is distinct from C. laterivecta, which has larger, laterally attached conidia.

Holotypus: in truncis Nothofagi fuscae. Nova Zeiandia, "Canterbury, Woolshed Hill, Hawdon Valley", 16.V. 1963, J. M. Dingley, DAOM 106380 (PDD 21098). Subicula dark brown to black, effuse, velutinous, tufted or in compact mounds, on bark, occurring alone or overgrowing and intimately associated with other sooty moulds.