Under (1) Leptospermum ericoides, Auckland: Titirangi, Atkinson Park. 10.ix.l965, R.F.R. McN., 24707; 14.vi.l967, R.F.R. McN., 25916: 6.vii.l967, R.F.R. McN., 25946; Henderson Valley, Sharp's Bush, 21.vi.l967, R.F.R. McN., 25914; (2) L. scoparium. Auckland: Woodhill State Forest, vi.l966, R.F.R. McN., 25277; 15.vi.l966, R.F.R. McN., 25250; (3) Leptospermum sp., Auckland: Little Barrier Island, X.1945, J. M. Dingley, 20105; Waitakere Ranges, off Anawhata Rd., viii.l947, J. M. D. 5586; (4) unknown native plants, Auckland: Purewa Bush, 1931, M. Hodgkins, 16752; Titirangi, ix.l931, M. Hodgkins, 7341; Waitakere Ranges, Cuttygrass Track, ix.l944, J. M. D., 4457; Little Barrier Island, X.1945, J. M. D., 4456; Waitakere Ranges, off Anawhata Rd. viii.l948, J. M. D., 7378; iv.l949, P. M. Ambler, 7379; Swanson, University Reserve, ix. 1952, S.D. Baker, 17722; Piha Valley, viii.l953, J. M. D., 17720: Otago: Ross Creek Reservoir, vii.l933, H. K. Dalrympic, 6386.

Fructifications fleshy, stiptate and pileate. Pileus 1-4 cm diam., dry, applanate and slightly centrally depressed, finely felted when young, centrally glabrous with felted margins at maturity, white, pallid creamy white, or pallid cream, occasionally with faint shell pink tints, stained with ochraceous or rusty brown patches when overmature, drying pallid yellow, yellow-brown, orange-brown, or sometimes dark reddish brown: margins involute when young, thin, entire, often undulate. Hymenial surface ± concolorous with pileus, drying orange-brown, sterile margin absent, spines non-decurrent but reaching stipe, to 4 mm long, crowded, subulate, pallid creamy white, often with faint shell pink tints. Stipe central, occasionally excentric or lateral, 1.3-3 cm long, ± equal, 2-4 mm diam., solid, finely felted, concolorous with pileus, drying same colours as pileus; flesh concolorous with exterior. Context fleshy, to 1 mm thick, pallid creamy white, azonate, monomitic. Hyphae thin-walled, inflating, 4-12.5µm diam., readily collapsing, clamp connections present; superficial hyphae in young fructifications similar but of smaller and more even diam., typically aggregated into tufts, 3-6 µm diam. Basidia irregularly subclavate, 35-52 x 5.5-8.5 µm, 4-(5)-spored, sterigmata to 5 µm long; cystidia absent. Spores globose, subglobose, or occasionally broadly elliptical, hyaline, thin-walled, readily collapsing, 6.8-8.2-(9) x 6-7.5 µm, smooth.

TYPE LOCALITY: Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia.

Solitary or gregarious under native trees and shrubs

Cunningham, Trans. R. Soc. N.Z. 85: 589, fig. 1. la. 1958.