K(m)235254. Stevenson 914. The pielipellis broom cells are brown, not dextrinoid. Spores length=6.3–7.6µm (µ=7.0, σ=0.43), width=3.2–4.1µm (µ=3.7, σ=0.27), Q=1.6–2.2µm (µ=1.92, σ=0.16), n=15. There are some thin fragments of rhizoids in the packets which arise independently from the stems on the leaves. The spores are broader than Horak suggests, and thus closer to M. masonii. Modern collections indicate this is a relative of G. androsaceus and a Gymnopus.

Material examined. - NEW ZEALAND: North Island, Little Barrier Island, Summit Track, 10 VI 1981, Horak 985 (SFSU, ZT; on L. scoparium).- South Island, Prov. Nelson, Puramahoi, 20 IV 1955, Rea in Stevenson 984 (Holotype, K); Prov. Nelson, Puponga 17 V 1968, Horak 68-469 (SFSU, ZT; on K. ericoides); Prov. Otago, Lewis Pass, 15 III 1983, Horak 2002 (SFSU, ZT; on D. bidwillu); Prov. Westland, Ahaura, Kopara, 12 XII 1967, Horak 67-245 (SFSU, ZT; on N. fusca and Quintinia).

Pileus 2-5 mm diam, hemispherical to convex when young, expanding with age to plano-convex with a flat to depressed disc, with or without a inconspicuous conical papilla; margin decurved, plicate; surface dull, dry, glabrous to minutely pruinose; disc greyish lilac, sooty brown or dark brown, becoming beige with pale reddish brown tones towards the margin. Texture tough, membranaceous; context thin, buff.- Lamellae adnexed, close to subdistant (9-11) with 1-2 series of lamellulae, noncollariate or seldom with a pseudocollarium, buff, beige or pale brown with reddish tone; edges fimbriate, concolorous.- Stipe 10-30 x 0.3-0.5 mm, central, cylindrical, equal, wiry, tough, glabrous, insititious; apex pale brown, blackish brown elsewhere; black rhizomorphs present.- Odor and taste not distinctive.
Basidiospores 6-9 x 2.5-3.5 µm, narrowly ellipsoid, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline, inamyloid, Basidia 17-24 x 5-6 µm, subclavate, 4-spored, clamped.- Cheilocystidia 12-25 x 5-8 µm , subclavate, seldom lobate, apically diverticulate, hyaline, thin-walled; diverticula 2-5 x 1.0-1.5 µm, cylindrical to irregular in outline, seldom forked, hyaline.- Pleurocystidia absent.- Pileipellis subhymeniform on the disc, a loose Rameales-structure on the margin, with diverticulate terminal cells; main body of terminal cells 1535 x 5-10 µm, clavate or irregular in outline, sometimes lobed, hyaline; diverticula 1-4 x 1.0-1.5 µm, cylindrical to irregular in outline, seldom forked, hyaline; subtending cells and subcuticular hyphae with pale brown pigment incrustations, non-gelatinous.- Pileal and lamellar trama hyphae inamyloid.- Stipe tissue monomitic; cortical hyphae smooth to roughened, some pigment-incrusted, brown, dextrinoid; medullary hyphae hyaline, inamyloid to dextrinoid.- Caulocystidia absent.- Clamp connectins present.

Habit, habitat and distribution.- Solitary, on fallen leaves of Kunzea (Leptospermum) ericoides (Holotype), Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) or Dacrydium bidwilli (Podocarpaceae), or on Nothofagus fusca (Fagaceae) or Quintinia sp. (Escalloniaceae). New Zealand, Tasmania.

Marasmius kanukaneus produces basidiomes on a number of different substrates. The holotype specimen was collected on leaves of Leptospermum and we have collected several other specimens on this substrate. Specimens have also been collected on Dacrydium, Nothofagus and Quintinia. We can find no significant differences between M. kanukaneus and M. tasmaniensis Singer (1989), a species described recently from material collected on Nothofagus leaves in Tasmania and we consider the two species conspecific (Holotype of M. tasmaniensis, F!).
Like M. rimuphilus, M. kanukaneus may have been the species reported from New Zealand as M. androsaceus by Colenso (1886). Marasmius androsaceus differs primarily in forming broader basidiospores (3.5-5.0 µm), and more deeply pigment and densely incrusted pileipellis hyphae. The latter temperate Northern Hemisphere morphospecies is actually a complex of macromorphologically indistinguishable taxa, differing in culture morphology (Desjardin, 1990), mating compatibility (S. Gordon, unpubl. data), and molecular sequence (Desjardin, unpubl. data). Until more research is conducted on this confusing group, we prefer to retain M. kanukaneus as distinct from phenetically similar taxa.

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

Pileus 1-3 mm diam., lilac grey, velvety, plano-convex. Gills adnexed, white with pink tinge, distant. Stipe 1.5-2 cm x 0.5 mm, dark purplish brown, polished, tough. Spores 7-8 x 4 µm, non-amyloid, hyaline. Cuticle of loosely woven, amyloid to pseudo-amyloid hyphae, some with irregular thickenings, with broom-cell-like endings (Fig. 17).

Inserted on fallen leaves of Leptospermum ericoides, Puramahoi, Nelson, 20.4.1955, Dorothy Read in Stevenson (type).

Pileus 1-3 mm diam., lilacino-griseus, velutinus, plano-convexus. Lamellae adnexae, albae puniceo-tinctae, distantes. Stipes 1.5-2 cm x 0.5 mm, fusco-purpureo-brunneus, politus, tenax, Sporae 7-8 x 4 µm, haud amyloideae, hyalinae. Cuticula ex hyphis laxe intertextis amyloideis usque pseudo-amyloideis nonnullis irregulariter incrassatis cellulis scopiformibus terminatis sistens.

Typus: D. Read in Stevenson 084.