CONIFERAE. Podocarpus halli: Taranaki, Mt. Egmont, 950 m. Wellington, Mt. Hauhangatahi, 1,100 m.

Hymenophore resupinate, annual, membranous, adherent, at first appearing as numerous scattered orbicular colonies 3-10 mm diameter, merging to form effused linear areas 4-7 x 1.5-2 cm; hymenial surface sepia, umber, or reddish-brown, colliculose, at length deeply irregularly creviced; margin thinning out, crenate, chestnut when young, becoming concolorous, adherent. Context sepia or fuliginous, 150-250 µm thick, of numerous rows of overlapping setae embedded among erect hyphae, with a delicate layer of intertwined hyphae (sometimes wanting) on the abhymenial surface; skeletal hyphae 3-3.5 µm diameter, walls 0.5 µm thick, yellow brown; generative hyphae 2-2.5 µm diameter, walls 0.1 µm thick, hyaline. Setae subulate with acute apices, some projecting to 50 µm, 65-90 x 7-9 µm, walls naked, reddish-brown, lumena narrow. Hymenial layer to 35 µm deep, a close palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia subclavate, 14-18 x 3.5-4 µm, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata slightly arcuate, slender, to 5 µm long. Paraphyses subclavate, 6-12 x 3.5-4 µm. Spores oval or obovate, a few laterally apiculate, 5-6.5 x 3.5-4 µm, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µm thick.

DISTRIBUTION: Europe, North America, West Indies, New Zealand.

HABITAT: Decorticated wood of dead trunks associated with a white rot.

In shape, size, and arrangement of setae, size and shape of spores, and colour of the hymenial surface the species resembles H. fuliginosa. It differs in that fructifications are resupinate, and a cortex and well developed context are absent. The species may be recognised by the acute, naked setae arranged in a setal layer of from three to five overlapping rows occupying the region of the context, oval or obovate spores, and usually small orbicular colonies with dark hymenial surface.
Collections agree with a specimen examined in Kew herbarium ex "Tyrol, V. Litschauer", filed under the cover of H. fuliginosa (Lev.) Bres. This combination was used by Burt (1918b, p. 365) but is untenable since it is occupied by H. fuliginosa (Pers.) Lev., which, according to Bresadola, is a different plant. Burt suggested the correct name for the species is H. fusca, since he found Swedish specimens named by Karsten to agree with H. fuliginosa (Lev.) Bres.

TYPE LOCALITY: Sweden.