Hymenophore resupinate, perennial, stratose, woody and indurated, adnate, effused forming irregular linear areas to 10 x 4 cm. Hymenial surface even, finely floccose, umber, black and shining where rubbed, each layer tending to recede slightly, not creviced; margin dark umber, almost black, cliff-like, to 10 mm thick, often striated with parallel bands representing lateral margins of the strata, coarsely lobed. Context umber, to 10 mm thick, showing irregular parallel growth zones, brittle, hard and indurated like the stroma of a Hypoxylon, composed of many parallel layers of overlapping setae (sometimes with bands of context hyphae between) and mainly upright hyphae compacted and cemented, towards the base context hyphae cemented into a fuscous amorphous tissue; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 4-5 µ diameter, walls 0.5-l µ thick, golden brown, freely branched and septate. Setal layers overlapping and poorly defined, to 80 µ deep, some demarked by persistent palisades of paraphyses or context hyphae; setae projecting to 30 µ, narrowly fusiform, 32-55 x 6-8 µ, larger in the context, walls naked, bright reddish-brown, lumina narrow. Hymenial layer a scanty palisade of basidia, paraphyses and scattered paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 12-16 x 4-4.5 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slightly arcuate, slender, 4-5 µ long. Paraphyses cylindrical or subclavate, tinted, about the same diameter but narrower than the basidia. Paraphysate hyphae slightly projecting, coloured, filiform, sometimes branched near apices. Spores elliptical with rounded ends, apiculate, 4-4.5 x 2.5-3 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Adnate on decorticated decaying trunks; type of rot not seen.

Resupinata, perennis, stratosa, lignosa atque indurata, adnata. Superficies hymenii umbrina, nigra et ubi abrasa lucida, non rimosa; margine ad 1 cm crasso, nigro, lobato. Contextus umbrinus, ad 1 cm crassus, plurium stratorum setarum in medio hyphis erectis, basim hyphis intertextis, conglutinatis, pseudoparenchymatis; cortex abest. Hypharum systema monomiticum. Setarum strata partim superimposita, aliquot stratis hypharum contextus intertextarum definita. Setae anguste fusiformes, ad 30 µ eminentes, nudae, 32-55 x 6-8 µ. Basidia subclavata, 12-16 x 4-4.5 µ, 4 sporis ellipticis, 4-4.5 x 2.5-3 µ.

Specimens resemble in colour and external appearance stromata of certain species of Hypoxylon. Plants may attain a thickness of 10 mm, are woody and brittle, and break with a clean fracture, exposing parallel growth lines. Sections show them to be composed of overlapping rows of setae embedded in upright cemented hyphae, with a thick base of hyphae cemented into an amorphous tissue. The abhymenial surface is glabrous, polished where free from wood debris, and without abhymenial hairs. Strata are evident in some sections, being demarked by persistent layers of paraphyses or intertwined context hyphae; in others they may not be visible or be indicated only by darker parallel colour zones. Setae are closely arranged, usually possess narrow lumina and those projecting may become enmeshed within hyphal sheaths. Only a few spores were found attached to basidia. These were elliptical with rounded ends. A few suballantoid spores were seen floating in the mountant, but none of this shape was found attached, so they may have been contaminants.

Nothofagus fusca (Hook.f.) Oerst. Nelson: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, December 1952, S.D.Baker, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 16637.