Beilschmiedia tawa (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. and Benth. Auckland. Near Alfriston, August 1948, J.M.D. (type collection). Alectryon excelsior Gaertn. Auckland. Near Alfriston, September 1947, J.M.D. Unknown host Auckland. Near Alfriston, September 1947, J.M.D.

Stroma discoid, 1-2 mm. diameter, 0.5-1 nim. thick, scattered, numerous, pulvinate when fresh but convex when dry, brown vinaceous, punctate with dark papillate ostioles, margins rounded, free, stroma centrally attached to a substratum, pseudoparenchymatous, cells up to 15 µ diameter, outer cell pigmented and thickened, inner cells thin walled, hyaline. Perithecia globose, 0.15-0.25 mm. diameter, arranged in a superficial zone of stroma, ostiole up to 80 µ long, papillate; perithecial wall 10-15 µ thick, pigmented, distinct. Asci cylindrical, 70-80 x 4-6 µ, thin walled, with 16 unicellular part-spores, uniseriate, pseudoparaphyses branched, ramifying in cavity of perithecia. Part-spores cuboid or globose, 3.5-4.5 µ, or more or less oval when 5-4 x 3.0-4.0 µ, olivaceous, echinulate.

Distribution: New Zealand.

Habitat: On rotten wood.

Stroma discoidale, 1-2 mm. diam., 0.5-1 mm. densum, pulvinatum, brunneo-vinosum, tuberculatum, ad medium substratum affixum, pseudoparenchymatum ostiolis papillatis, marginibus rotundis, liberis. Perithecia globosa 0.15-0.25 mm. diam. in regione superficiali stromatis ordinata, ostiolo 70-80 µ longo, papillato. Asci cylindrici 70-80 x 4-6 µ, 16 sporis divisis unicellularibus, pseudoparaphysibus ramosis. Sporae divisae globosae vel cuboides 3.5-4.5 µ, vel ovatae 4.0-5.0 x 3.0-4.0 µ, olivaceae, echinulatae.

When fresh this species resembles H. rufa, but the pigmented spores and its distinct papillated ostioles sharply differentiates it from others described from New Zealand. H. tawa may be separated from H. novae-zealandica by its larger spores and the darker coloured stroma.

Beilschmiedia tawa (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. and Benth. Auckland. Near Alfriston, August 1948, J.M.D. (type collection).