COLLECTIONS EXAMINED: NEW ZEALAND South Island: Maungatua, 18 April 1953, Mrs. G. Stevenson 877, under Nothofagus menziesii (K) ; Prov. Canterbury, Craigieburn Range, Cave Stream, 19 April 1968, C. Baker, under Nothofagus cliffortioides (Herb. HK., ZT 68/272); Prov. Nelson, Lake Rotoiti, St. Arnaud Range, 30 April 1969, E. Horak, in litter under Nothofagus fusca and N. menziesii (holotype, Herb. HK., ZT 69/277).

Pileus 30-70 mm diam., at first hemispherical with strongly incurved margin, becoming umbonate-convex, rarely expanded, fleshy; dark (date) brown, always showing a distinct olive-greenish tinge, hygrophanous; covered with a thick layer of slime (up to 3 mm), near the striate margin grooved or wrinkled, without any squamulose remnants of the velum universale. Lamellae emarginate, crowded; argillaceous to coffee brown or ochraceous-brown; gill edge whitish and fimbriate. Stipe 40-80 X 8-15 mm, cylindrical, robust, at maturity fistulose; brown or lighter than the pileus; dry, apically glabrous to longitudinally fibrillose, below the annulus with squarrose squamules; ring very conspicuous, pendent, strongly striate, immobile; whitish or concolorous with the stipe; at the crenulate margin frequently with brown, gelatinous patches (originating from the margin of the pileus). Context brown. Smell and taste not distinctive. Spores 12.5-15 X 7-8 µ, almond-shaped, strongly warted except for the mucro, with conspicuous perlspore embedding the warts, plage smooth. Basidia 35-46 X 10-14 µ, 4-spored. Cystidia at the gill edge conspicuous, 25-60 X 10-35 µ, clavate, thin-walled, partially encrusted with brown pigment, with clamp connections. Cuticle consisting of loosely arranged cells, 18-45 X 12-25 µ, more or less forming an epithelium; membrane of hyphae strongly gelatinized and covered by crusts of a brown pigment.

HABITAT: Among litter in Nothofagus forests (N. cliffortioides, N. fusca, N. menziesii). New Zealand.

Pileo 30-70 mm lato, hemisphaerico demum umbonato-convexo, margine incurvo, brubneo et distincte olivaceo-tincto, glutinoso, marginem versus venoso-subsulcato, striato, hygrophano, fragmentis veli universali nullis. Lamellis emarginatis, ex argillaceo ochraceo-brunneis, fimbriatis. Stipite 40-80 X 8-15 mm, cylindraceo, robusto, fistuloso, sicco, pileo concolori vel pallidiori, superne glabro, basim versus squamis squarrosis instructo, annulo albo vel argillaceo, amplo, patulo, perstriato, fixo, marginem versus partibus glutinosis brunneisque ornato. Carne obscure brunnea. Odore saporeque nullis. Sporis 12.5-15 X 7-8 µ, amygdaliformibus, grosse verrucosis, depressione suprahilari indistincta instructis. Cheilocystidiis 25-60 X 10-35 µ, conspicuis, clavatis, tenuitunicatis, fibuligeris. Epicute e cellulis clavatis, 18-45 X 12-25 µ, epithelium efformantibus, membrana glutinosa et pigmento brunneo incrustata. Inter folia deiecta in silvls nothofagineis. Novazelandia.

Descolea majestatica, the third member of the genus with a gelatinized cuticle, is characterized by several peculiarities which place it in a somewhat transitional taxonomic position. According to the robust and fleshy nature of the fruiting bodies and the thick gelatinous layer on the pileus, this species could be taken as related to Rozites. The latter genus is also known from the Nothofagus forests of S. America, New Zealand, and Australia, and represented by some ten species. The occurrence of articulate cheilocystidia and the generally amygdaliform spores brings out the close relationship between D. majestatica and southern Rozites. The hymeniform cuticle, the smooth mucro of the spores, and the strongly striate. persistent ring are however distinct characters of Descolea. Therefore this species is considered to be a member of the genus Descolea.

Holotypus: Novazelandia, Lake Rotoiti, 30. IV. 1969, E. Horak (Herb. HK., ZT 69/277).