Apothecia scattered or gregarious, 1.5-3 mm diameter. Disk flat, pale whitish-buff (code 5Y8/2 using the 'Standard Soil Color Chart' published by the Nippon Shikaisha Co. Ltd., Japan), receptacle a darker buff (2.5Y 7/4) shading to brown (2.5Y 6/6) at a stout base, clothed at the top with stiff, brown, septate rooting hairs. The latter are variable in number and sometimes apparently absent. However, microscopical examination of an apparently hairless apothecium usually reveals septate, brown rooting hairs of greatly reduced size are present. The bases of the rooting hairs are variable in shape, sometimes distinctly forked, as in Cheilymenia coprinaria (Cooke) Boud., sometimes simple or bulbous (Fig. 1 B). Hyaline hyphal outgrowths, composed of a chain of bulbous thin-walled cells are sometimes present (Fig. l A). In quantity they form a loose tomentum radiating from the apothecium, giving it a woolly appearance (Fig. 1 D). In such specimens brown rooting hairs are generally sparse. The rooting hairs are straight, 200--800 µm long, approximately 40 µm in diameter at the base tapering gradually to a sharp-pointed apex and having four to twenty-eight, thin, transverse septa. The hair walls are dark brown (especially at the base), and approximately 4 µm thick. The ectal excipulum is built of large subglobose or polygonal cells, sharply delineated from an inner medullary region of smaller, irregular cells interspersed with hyphae of no obvious orientation (Fig. 1 A). A few larger cells in the outer medullary region have contents which appear denser due to their ability to retain the staining material (safranin and fast green). Asci cylindrical 185 x 8 µm, tapering to a narrow base with a bluntly rounded apex, and containing eight uniseriately arranged ascospores. Ascospore oblong-ellipsoidal 8-12 x 5-6 µm, smooth walled, hyaline without oil globules and with a delicate outer wall separable when heated in lactic acid (Fig. 1 C). Paraphyses 4 µm in diameter, with a few septa, slightly enlarged apex and containing hyaline granules; carotinoid pigment not found.

Habitat: faecal pellets of the brush-tailed opossum, Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr., collected on the ground in indigenous lowland forests, Orongorongo Valley, near Wellington New Zealand. In the laboratory, under humid conditions and at room temperatures (10-24 °C), apothecia appear on pellets after an average of 24 incubation (range: 7-40 days).

Apotheciis 1.5-3 mm diametro, sessilibus. Receptaculis turbinatis, bubalinis, pilis rigidis, brunneis, sparsis ciliatis. Hymenio pallido. Thecis cylindratis, operculatis, octosporis, uniseriatis, 185 x 8 µm. Ascosporis longe ellipsoideis, hyalinis, eguttulatis, laevibus, tunica facile caduca circumdatis. Paraphysibus rectis, simplicibus, superne paulo dilatatis, septatis, intus granulosis, hyalinis. Pilis septatis, laevibus, acutis, plerumque radiculis penitus in trama natis. Carne interiore e strato hypharum laxe intertexto sistente, exteriore e cellulis globosis, parietibus tenuibus.

Sparsa vel gregaria in stercoribus Trichosuri vulpeculae. Orongorongo Valley, Wellington, Nova Zelandia, 7-8 Nov. 1970, leg. A. Bell, typus (K).