[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Lots of specimens in the type folder, from many countries. Photographed the one from NZ

On Cyperaceae: Gahnia species, Australasia: G. grandis (Labill.) S. T. Blake (Australia, Tasmania), G. pauciora T. Kirk (NZ), G. procera J. R. & G. Forst. (NZ), G. setifolia (A. Rich.) Hooker fil. (NZ), G. xanthocarpa (Hooker fd.) Hooker fil. (NZ), and G. sp. (NZ).

Sori (Figs. 1-4) surrounding the pedicels, peduncles and main axes of the inflorescence (sometimes only partly), fusiform, ellipsoidal or globoid, 0.3-1 (-2) ´ 0.5-4 (-7) cm, black or blackish-brown, composed of compact spore masses with powdery surface, traversed by numerous, radially arranged fascicles of fungal filaments ("elaters"), extending beyond the spore masses. Peridium on the surface of young sori was not observed. At maturity, the spore masses break into small pieces composed of agglutinated spore balls. Spore balls (Figs. 5, 6) ellipsoidal or irregular, 20-50 µm long, dark olivaceous- or chestnut-brown, composed of (2-)3-15 (-20 or more?) easily separating spores. Spores (Figs. 5, 6) globose, subglobose, ellipsoidal, pyriform or irregular, (11-) 12-17 x 13-19 µm, olivaceous- to chestnut-brown; wall (1.5-) 2-3 µm thick including the typically cracked (scaly) exospore, sometimes with a short, hyaline papilla at one end. Parasitic hyphae intracellular. Mature septa poreless (Dr. R. Bauer, pers. comm.). Spore formation (Figs. 2-4) at the basal part of the sori in radially arranged sporogenous hyphae. Very young spores are catenulate, fusiform, yellow, thickwalled, smooth. With maturation the spores become larger, ellipsoidal, globose, pigmented, with cracked exospore, agglutinated in balls and often have one or several, slightly flattened sides. Capillitium-like fungal filaments ("elaters") between the spore masses arise from the basal stroma, are 10-50 µm wide, up to 15 µm long, yellowish- to dark olivaceous-brown, composed of numerous, agglutinated, elongated, transversally septate, 1.5-2.5 µm wide hyphae, apparently without cell content. Spore germination (Fig. 7; of freshly collected spores, in water, at room temp., after 5 days) resulted in either septate basidia or in long filaments. The basidia give rise to hyphae or to shorter or longer, fusiform basidiospores which separate easily (Vánky, 1997a:153).