Fuchsia excorticata L.f. Otago: Morrison's Creek, Dunedin, 500ft, June 1952, G.T.S.Baylis. Griselinia littoralis Raoul. Hawke's Bay: Ahimanawa Range, 2,500ft, November 1955, J.M.Dingley. Griselinia lucida Forst.f. Wellington: Mt. Hauhangatahi, 3,000ft, February 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 16627.

Hymenophore resupinate, annual, membranous, adnate, at first developing as numerous small orbicular colonies 2-5 mm across, merging to form linear areas to 8 x 3 cm. Hymenial surface ferruginous, becoming umber or reddish-brown, velutinate, not creviced, margin thinning out, bay or fawn, fibrillose, adnate. Context ferruginous, together with the hymenium 50-100 µ thick, a narrow zone of intertwined partly cemented hyphae embedding the setae; hyphal system monomitic, generative hyphae 2.5-3 µ diameter, walls 0.5 µ thick, golden brown, branched, septate. Setal layer occupying most of the fructification, composed of 2-3 overlapping rows of setae which arise from the subhymenium and context, project to 65 µ, are subulate, 55-80 x 8-10 µ, with walls naked, reddish-brown, lumina narrow. Hymenial layer to 25 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 14-18 x 3.5-4 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, slender, to 5 µ long. Paraphyses clavate, same diameter but shorter than the basidia. Paraphysate hyphae brown, filiform, to 3 µ diameter. Spores elliptical, apiculate, 5.5-7 x 2.5-3 µ, walls.smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark of dead branches associated with a white rot.

Resupinata, annua, membranacea, adnata. Superficies hymenii ferruginea, deinde umbrina vel brunneo-rubra, non rimosa; margine badio vel hinnuleo, fibrilloso, adnato. Contextus ferrugineus, 2-3 ordinibus setarum partim superimpositis, hyphis intertextis in medio. Hypharum systema monomiticium. Setae subulatae, ad 65 µ eminentes, nudae, 55-80 x 8-10 µ. Basidia subclavatis, 14-18 x 3.5-4 µ, 4 sporis ellipticas, 5.5-7 x 2.5-3 µ.

There are few outstanding features separating the species from others of this section. The hymenial surface is ferruginous, becoming umber or reddish-brown because of projecting setae, and tardily or not creviced. The context is composed of 2-3 overlapping rows of setae embedded in intertwined, partly cemented hyphae. Setae project to 65 µ, are naked, fairly broad for their length, and associated with coloured paraphysate hyphae. Spores are elliptical and vary somewhat in size; in one collection they are 7 x 3 µ, in a second 6 x 2.5 µ. The fungus produces a soft white rot in the host tissues. It has the largest setae of the four related species H. innexa, H. minuscula, H. corrugata and H. separata. The interwoven hyphae free from crystals separates it from H. minuscula and H. separata; and narrower setae and different spores separate it from H. corrugata.

Griselinia lucida Forst.f. Wellington: Mt. Hauhangatahi, 3,000ft, February 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 16627.