TYPE: NEW ZEALAND, locality unknown, J. Reader 50, Apr 1885 (holotype K).
OTHER COLLECTIONS EXAMINED: NEW ZEALAND: WELLINGTON: York Bay, E.H. Atkinson, 5 Oct 1919 (PDD 839, OSC); same locality, E.H. Atkinson, 4 Feb 1922 (PDD 823); same locality, E.H. Atkinson, 26 Jun 1922 (PDD 703, OSC, BPI); same locality, E.H. Atkinson, 10 Oct 1922 (PDD 926, OSC); same locality, E.J. Butler & G.H. Cunningham, 27 Jul 1923 (PDD 1220, OSC). NELSON: Nelson City, track to Fringed Hill, R.E. Beever 666, 30 Apr 1987 (PDD 48939, OSC). BULLER: Murchison, Matakitaki Bridge Scenic Reserve, P.K. Buchanan & R.E. Beever 647,27 Apr 1987 (PDD 48938, OSC); same locality, R.E. Beever 648,27 Apr 1987 (PDD 48937); same locality, R.E. Beever 1272, 23 Sep 1992 (PDD 60558); same locality, R.E. Beever 1277, 24 Sep 1992 (PDD 60557); Nelson Lakes National Park, Lake Rotoiti, Loop Track, R.E. Beever 659, 28 Apr 1987 (PDD 48940, OSC). NORTH CANTERBURY: Arthur's Pass, R.G. MacDougall, 27 May 1960 (PDD 19314, OSC); Hawdon Valley, Woolshed Hill, S.J. Hughes 720,16 May 1963 (DAOM 93583, OSC); Cass, M.J. Noonan, 30 Mar 1968 (PDD 31459, OSC); Lewis Pass, B.S. Parris, 26 Jan 1970 (PDD 28165, OSC); Arthur's Pass National Park, Casey Saddle, M.J. Noonan, 4 Jun 1972 (PDD 31390, OSC). MID CANTERBURY: Upper Waimakariri, T. Kirk 382, ?date, (type of Rhizopogon violaceus, holotype K); Upper Rangitata River, V. Begg, 27 May 1961 (PDD 19830, OSC); Craigieburn Forest Park, Cave Stream Shelter, R.E. Beever 515,19 Apr 1986 (PDD 48941); same locality, R.E. Beever 629, 22 Apr 1987 (PDD 48942). OTAGO LAKES: Queenstown, One Mile Creek, R.E. Beever 276, 15 May 1984 (PDD 48936); Lake Hawea, Hunter Valley Road, Sawyer Burn, A. Newton & M.K. Thayer, 17 Jan 1985 (PDD 48943). FIORDLAND: Fiordland National Park, Waiau River, Kepler Track, R.E. Beever 1012,18 May 1990 (PDD 57834).

Basidiomata up to 10 cm diam., globose to depressed, larger specimens irregularly dimpled and grooved, purple to violet when fresh, paler where exposed, bruising brown, surface tomentose to scaly. Gleba olive brown, deep yellowish brown to dark greyish brown; locules elongate to irregular, partially filled with spores; developing large schizogenous cavities up to 2 cm diam. at maturity. Rhizomorphs attached at base, up to 1 mm diam., concolorous with peridium near base, white distally. Columella often poorly developed, dendroid, translucent when fresh, dark brown when dried. Taste slightly peppery. Odour nil. Peridium not separable from gleba, a single layer, up to 1500 µm thick, of hyaline, thin-walled, loosely interwoven, somewhat gelatinised hyphae 7-8 µm in diam. near gleba, with inflated., isodiametric cells up to 70 um diam. near surface, clamp connections absent; surface cells yellowish brown with areas of pale violet to violet pigment (when mounted in KOH) and adherent crystalline particles; near gleba sterile locules contiguous with subcutis and lined with basidium-like inflated cells, sometimes with locule wall against gleba fertile. Inflated cells poorly developed in young specimens. Sutures absent. Trama up to 70 µm thick, of hyaline, thin-walled, mostly collapsed, subparallel to loosely interwoven hyphae, 2-3 µm diam. in a gelatinised matrix, clamp connections absent. Basidia elongate. to subclavate, 6-8 µm diam. at apex c. 3 µm at base x 24-35 µm, hyaline, thin-walled, 4-6-spored. Spores smooth, 8-10.5 x 4-5 µm, ellipsoid; apex obtuse, base obtuse, with or without a distinct asymmetric sterigmal attachment up to 2 µm long x 1 µm wide; wall c. 1 µm thick. Utricle absent. Spore colour in KOH yellow olive singly, brown in mass.

New Zealand.

Habitat: hypogeous or subepigeous in Nothofagus forests, putatively mycorrhizal with Nothofagus fusca, N. menziesii, N. solandri, and N. solandri var. cliffortioides. Season: January through October.

ETYMOLOGY: Literally from Greek sclero, hard, and derma, skin, but in this context in reference to the macroscopic resemblance of the basidioma to those of Scleroderma spp.
REMARKS: Gallaeea scleroderma, a common species in Nothofagus forests, is readily recognised in the field by the purple pigmentation of its peridium. One collection [WELLINGTON, Tararua Range, Mt Reeves, T.C. Birch, Mar 1931 (PDD 8316, DAOM 116181, OSC)] determined as G. scleroderma on the basis of peridial characters, including traces of purple pigmentation, approaches G. eburnea in spore size (6-7 x 3.5-4 µm).

R[hizopogon] violaceus Cke. et Mass.
= Hysterangium sclerodermum (Cke.) G.H. Cunn.

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

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