Pustules thickly scattered, often connected by a thin, brown stratum, angular or elongated from the confluence of two or more individuals, erumpent, but closely adherent to the cuticle, black, opaque, scarcely 1/2 a line long; disc minutely scabrous; stroma pale; perithecia crowded, resting on the matrix, ovate, subglobose, with a short neck, and scarcely traceable ostiola. Asci evanescent, containing eight, linear, obtuse, curved sporidia, 1/1750 of an inch long.

erumpens, angulata vel confluenti-elongata, stromate parco pallido, peritheciis ovatis, collo brevi ostioli obscuro, sporidiis octonis curvis majoribus.

Closely allied to D. verrucaeformis, from which it differs principally in its smaller and more free pustules, more obscure ostiola, and much larger sporidia. Those of D. verrucaeformis are about 1/4375 of an inch long. This species may also be compared with S. smilacicola, Schwein., which is, however, smoother, and has frequently a dilated, crenate, barren border at the base. The authentic specimens unfortunately are without fruit, so that I cannot compare the two in this respect. That species moreover is quite free, and therefore is a true Hypoxylon.

On smooth. branches of Rhipogonum parviflorum, Titiocura, Colenso.

New Zealand. Material examined at K: Titocura, on Rhipogonum parvifiorum, Colenso s.n. (holotype); on R. scandens, Colenso b 129, b 132 & b 172; Dunedin, Berggren 244 & 245; Little River, Berggren 248; Waitaki, Berggren 253; Wellington, Ruamahanga, Kirk 11, 38 & 56. At PDD: on R. scandens, 15481, 18609, 21479, 23012, 26370 and other numbers.

Fructifications stromatic, scattered, discrete, sometimes gregarious, erum-pent, more or less globular, sometimes subcorneal with erumpent cortical tissues adhering to the exposed stroma; stroma becoming flattened, roughened and oval, sometimes circular, 0-5-1 mm diam., 1-2 mm long, outer wall brown-black, rugulose. Perithecia often fewer than ten per stroma, monostichous or nearly so, crowded and mutually compressed, flask shaped or ovate when mature, up to 260 µm diam. and 450 µm high; ostiolar canaL short, opening small, not papillate. Outer perithecial wall black, carbonaceous; inner hyaline and diffuse. Asci and sterile filaments forming hymenial layer lining perithecia. Asci slender, clavate 70-80 µm long, upper third widest, 6-7-5 mm diam., tapering quickly to long narrow stalk; thin-walled with distinct apical ring, spores eight, irregularly biseriate, in upper third of ascus. Ascospores one-celled, cylindrical, allantoid, pale olivaceous 8-12-5 X 2-3 µm. (Fig. 1A-B.)

Berkeley (1855) compared this species with Diatrype verrucaeformis Fr. and with Sphaeria smilacicola Schw. He illustrated asci and spores typical of a Diatrype. Cooke (1879) listed collections made by Berggren in his travels in the South Island of New Zealand during 1874-1875. In his account of 'Australian Fungi 3, Cooke (1892) illustrated this species, giving the spores as 14-15 µm long. On the type sheet (K), two asci and spores are illustrated, one with small allantoid spores typical of Diatrype and another with dark-coloured, broadly elliptical spores. It appears therefore that another fungus is also present on the type specimen. Similarly, two fungi are present on a number of the Kew collections of D. glomeraria. As Berkeley clearly specified a diatrypaceous fungus this name is adopted for this distinct endemic species common throughout New Zealand wherever Rhipogonum occurs.
As the host is a monocotyledonous liane, bark tissues are thin. This limits stromatic development and the usual black line which extends into the wood and segregates the fungus stroma is poorly defined.
On the type the host is given as Rhipogonum parviflorum, which according to Cheeseman (1925) is a synonym of R. scandens and the locality as 'Titocura' which no doubt refers to 'Titokura'.

Type: Caulicolous Fungi; Description: Ascomata stromatic, perithecial, aggregated in groups of up to 10, crowded together, embedded, oval, 0.25 mm in diameter, ostiole non-papillate. Stroma oval, flattened, thin, erumpent, 0.5–1 × 1–2 mm, with a finely wrinkled outer crust, brownish black; on stems. Asci clavate, with long, slender stalks, 70–80 × 6–8 6m. Ascospores allantoid, 0-septate, 8–13 × 2–3 µm, smooth, pale olivaceous.

Distribution: Wellington, South Canterbury, Dunedin.; 1st Record: Dingley (1976).

Significance: None.; Host(s): Ripogonum scandens.

[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Kew images.