K(M) 235258, Stevenson 1247. There is no doubt about the modern interpretation of this species as a Mycetinis.

Material examined - NEW ZEALAND: North Island, Prov. Wellington, Butterfly, 11 II 1958, Curran in Stevenson 1247 (Holotype, K); Prov. North Auckland, Little Barrier Island, Tirikawa Stream, 14 VI 1981, Horak 949 (SFSU, ZT).- South Island, Prov. Westland, Rotomanu, Lady Lake, 25 III 1983, Horak 2101 (SFSU, ZT).

Pileus 5-20 mm diam, hemispherical to convex when young, expanding in age to plano-convex with a slightly depressed disc, with or without an indistinct obtuse umbo, subplicate towards the margin; surface dull, dry, minutely granular-punctate especially over the disc; pale beige-brown with reddish brown tones when young, disc remaining so in age, becoming paler towards the margin. Texture tough, membranaceous context thin, buff to pale concolorous with pileus surface.- Lamellae adnate to slightly subdecurrent, subdistant (912) with 2-series of lamellulae, up to 1.5 mm wide, often anastomosing, off-white to pale cream or pale beige; edges fimbriate, concolorous.- Stipe 6-15 x 0.5-1.0 mm, central or seldom eccentric, cylindrical, equal or slightly attenuated towards the base, apex granulose, base glabrous, tough, solid, insititious, apex orangish brown to dark reddish brown, almost black near the base; rhizomorphs absent.- Odor and taste strong, like garlic.
Basidiospores 7-8(-10) x 4.0-4.5(-5.0) µm, ellipsoid, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline, inamyloid.- Basidia 20-40 x 5-6 µm, cylindrical to subclavate, 4-spored, clamped.- Cheilocystidia 15-30x6-10 µm , polymorphic, subcylindrical, clavate or irregular in outline, hyaline, thin-walled to slightly thick-walled (up to 0.5 µm); apical diverticula 1-7 x 1-2 µm , irregular in outline, often nodulose or forked, hyaline.- Pleurocystidia absent.Pileipellis a loosely organized, hymeniform layer of clavate to irregularly shaped cells, 20-50 x 7-15 µm, some with broad lobes or outgrowths, some irregularly roughened, thin-walled to thick-walled (up to 1.0 µm), yellowish brown, inamyloid; cells on disc more tightly organized.- Pileus tramal hyphae thin-walled to thick-walled, subgelatinous, inamyloid.- Stipe tissue monomitic; cortical hyphae cylindrical, thick-walled, roughened, yellowish brown, inamyloid.-Caulocystidia absent.-Clamp connections present.

Habit, habitat and distribution.- Solitary, in groups on rotting bark of twigs or logs of myrtaceous trees (Leptospermum sp. or Metrosideros umbellata). Host substrate for type unknown.

Marasmius curranii is characterized by the following features: a small, convex, beige-brown pileus; subdistant lamellae (9-12); a short, glabrous, reddish brown, insititious stipe; strong alliaceous odor and taste; growth on myrtaceous wood; relatively small basidiospores; diverticulate cheilocystidia; inamyloid tisues; and a hymeniform pileipellis of smooth or seldom nodose clavate cells. In combination, these features indicate placement in sect. Chordales, not sect. Globulares as suggested by Stevenson (1964).
Marasmius curranii is the New Zealand homologue to the north temperate M. scorodonius (Fr.: Fr.) Fr. The latter species differs only subtly from M. curranii in forming more robust basidiomes with yellowish brown pilei 15-30 mm broad and stipes 40-60 x 1-3 mm, crowded lamellae (15-30), and slightly longer basidiospores (8-10 µm; mean = 8.5-9.0 µm). The smaller M. scorodonius var. virgultorum Malengon & Bertault (1975), described from Morocco, may be a later synonym of M. curranii. In the Southern Hemisphere, M. curranii is allied with M. cinnamoneus Cleland (1934), a species described from material collected on Eucalyptus bark in Australia. Marasmius cinnamoneus differs, however, in lacking a garlic odor in fresh or dried material, and in forming larger basidiospores measuring 9-12 x 4.5-6.0 µm (isotype and two syntypes, AD!).

[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Kew images.

Pileus 5-13 mm diam., cinnamon darker at centre, hemispherical with slightly flattened or umbilicate centre, velvety. Gills moderately distant, adnate, margins minutely serrulate. Stipe 6-10 x 1 mm, cinnamon above, ferruginous below, pruinose, curved, tough. Spores 7-8 x 4 µm, non-amyloid; hymenophoral trama with weakly pseudo-amyloid elements and some hyphae with thickened walls. Cuticle of loosely woven large diam. hyphae with clamp connections, faintly amyloid, with inflated endings (Fig. 2/21) P-37).

Inserted in bark of dead wood, Butterfly, Wellington, 11.2.1958, M. Curran in Stevenson (type).

Pileus 5-13 mm diam., cinnamomeus (medio fuscius), hemisphaericus, medio leviter applanato vel umbilicato, velutinus. Lamellae modice distantes, adnatae, marginibus minute serrulatis. Stipes 6-10 x 1 mm, superne cinnamomeus, inferne ferruginous, pruinosus, curvatus, tenax. Sporae 7-8 x 4 µm, haud amyloideae. Trama hymenophoralis membris aegre pseudo-amyloideis et hyphis nonnullis parietibus incrassatis praeditae. Cuticula ex hyphis latis laxe intertextis fibulatis aegre amyloideis inflato-terminatis sistens.

Typus: M. Curran in Stevenson 1247.