Host: Carex dipsacea Berggr. In panicles. Herb. No. 311. Penearrow (Wellington), sea-coast, E. H. Atkinson! 10 Feb:, 1921. (Type.)

Sori in occasional ovarieg, at first compact and partially concealed within the perigynium, becoming exposed when semi-pulverulent, black, elliptical, and up to 6 mm. in length; intermixed with very numerous conspicuous elaters, black in mass, blackish-olive individually, which may attain a length of 15 mm. but are commonly less, averaging 10 mm. Spores globose to shortly elliptical, 6-9 X 5-7 mmm.; epispore minutely and moderately verruculose, dark olive, 0-75 mmm. thick.

The host is an endemic species, occurring throughout the lowland areas of both Islands (Cheeseman, 1906, p. 822).
This is separated from the following species on account of the smaller and more regular spores, black colour of the sori, elaters, and spores, and the conspicuous elaters. These latter are so numerous as to give the sori a woolly appearance, as;if a small tuft of hair had been caught and held in the position occupied by the sorus.
Germination.- In water, after three days, a few spores germinated after the material had been kept in the herbarium for twenty-one months. The method of germination is similar to E. olivaceus, a small probasidium being produced. . This is elliptical in shape, and about the same length as the spore. Shortly after its formation it becomes detached and functions as a conidium. The spores did not germinate when placed in nutrient solution (soil extract).