Type: Sooty Moulds and Similar Fungi; Description: Subiculum superficial, effuse, up to 7 mm thick, dark brown to black; on bark of trunks, branches or twigs. Mycelium composed of brown to dark brown septate, finely to moderately warted, curved, moniliform hyphae, up to 31 μm wide, which taper toward their distal end. Conidia ovoid, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, thick walled, 16–21 × 11–13 μm, very coarsely warted, brown to dark brown.

Distribution: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Westland.; 1st Record: Hughes (1981b).

Significance: None.; Host(s): Leptospermum scoparium, Olearia rani, Weinmannia racemosa, W. sylvicola.

COLLECTIONS: (1,2) Auckland Province, Waitakere Range, (1) Leptospermum scoparium. Sharp's Bush, 26.1X. 1963, S.J.H., DAOM 97384b; (2) Olearia rani, Walker Bush, Henderson Valley, 27.XII. 1962, S.J.H., DAOM 106366a; (3-6) Weinmannia racemosa, (3-5) West-land, Swamp Forest, Harihari, 7.IV.1963, S.J.H., PDD 21016 (DAOM 106385a), DAOM 106384, 106387; (6) Auckland Prov., Mangorewa Gorge, 20.111.1963, S.J.H., DAOM 106383a; (7) Weinmannia silvicola, North Auckland, Parahaki Mountain, Whangarei, 21.VI. 1963, S.J.H., PDD 21337 (DAOM 106382); (8) exposed roots of unidentified host, Auckland Prov., summit of Whitianga Road. Coromandel Peninsula (300 m), 21.VIII. 1963, S.J.H., PDD 21367 (DAOM 106388).

Subicula dark brown to black, superficial, effuse, up to 7 mm thick, usually mixed with other sooty moulds. Mycelium composed of brown to dark brown, anastomosing, septate, moniliform hyphae, which taper markedly toward their distal end. Hyphae are usually curved with upwardly curved branches originating at right angles, finely to moderately roughened throughout but distally (2-10 cells) coarsely roughened. The cells are usually about as broad as or broader than long being doliiform, the older ones being up to 31 µm wide and the younger distal cells as narrow as 8 µm wide. Most of the subiculum is made up of simple or branched hyphal ropes composed of a few hyphae or broader ropes up to 1 mm wide. Distinctive conidiophores are lacking: conidiogenous cells are borne on the ends of otherwise undifferentiated hyphae and also occasionally on subterminal branches. Conidiogenous cells are solitary or more usually in a whorl of up to 5 borne on the penultimate cell of an erect hypha, the terminal cell of which is also conidiogenous. One lo 3 conidiogenous cells may also be produced on the antepenultimate cell. Short solitary fertile branches up to 27 µm long and 1-septate may be produced near the apex; less frequently up to 4 longer (up to 170 µm long), scattered, upwardly curved and terminally fertile branches may be produced, giving a candelabra-like appearance. Conidiogenous cells are ovoid to narrowly barrel-shaped to cylindrical to broadly ellipsoidal and coarsely warted through fragmentation of and/or linear tearing of the outer layer during conidium production: they are brown to dark brown, 10-28 x 8-11 µm and at maturity bear inconspicuous lateral and terminal scars after schizolytic conidium secession. A transverse septum may develop finally in some of the longer conidiogenous cells. Conidia are blastically produced on successive new growing points. Conidium initials are at first spherical and soon become warted; they elongate unilaterally so that mature conidia are borne usually at right angles or obliquely to the point of attachment. Conidia are dry, ovoid, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, thick-walled, very coarsely warted, brown to dark brown with the proximal (basal) broader cell bearing a lateral pale circular scar 1.8-2.2 µm wide. The smaller distal cell is slightly thinner-walled at its apex. Conidia measure (13.5-) 16.5-21.5 x (9-)10.8-12. µm. and in old heads they occasionally anstomose one with another.

Subiculum atrobrunneum vel atrum, effusum, usque ad 7 mm crass. Mycelium superficiale, ex hyphis ramosis, apicem versus subulatis, septatis, moniliformibus, brunneis vel atrobrunneis, omnino subasperatis sed apicem versus valde verrucosis, ad 31 µm lat., cellulis terminalibus angustioribus ad 8 µm lat. compositum. Hyphae erectae saepe fasciculatae. Cellulae conidiogenae verticillatae, 1-5incellulis 1 vel 2 terminalibus hypharum erectarum nec non in ramis lateralibus curvatis affixae, ovoideae vel longe doliiformes vel cylindricae vel late ellipsoideae, valde verrucosae, brunneae vel atrobrunneae, 10-28 x 8-11 µm, cicatricibus lateralibus terminalibusque praeditae. Conidia ovoidea 1-septata, ad septas constricta, cellulis inaequalibus (cellula terminali parviore), valde verrucosa, brunnea vel atrobrunnea (13.5-)16.5-21.5 x (9-) 10.8-12.6 µm, cicatrice laterali in cellula basali praedita.

Capnobotrys laterivecta has more coarsely warted hyphae and conidia, a larger number of conidiogenous cells around hyphal ends and branches, and smaller conidia than found in C. paucispora, which it most closely resembles.

Holotypus: in truncis Weinmanniae racemosae, Nova Zeiandia, "Westland, Swamp Forest, Harihari", 7.1V. 1963, S. J. Hughes, PDD 21016 (DAOM 106385a).