CONIFERAE. Dacrydium cupressinum: Auckland, Whitianga-Coromandel Road, 260 m. FAGACEAE. Nothofagus fusca: Nelson, Lake Rotoiti, 700 m; Orwell Creek, Ahaura. Nothofagus menziesii: Otago, Alton Valley, Tuatapere, 200 m. LAURACEAE. Beilschmiedia tawa: Auckland, Te Whaiti, 400 m. MYRTACEAE. Eucalyptus obliqua: South Australia, Mt. Lofty. Eucalyptus spp.: Victoria, Creswick; Cockatoo Creek. South Australia, Mt. Lofty; National Park. Metrosideros excelsa: Auckland, Piha, Waitakere Ranges, 250 m; Buffalo Beach, Whitianga. RUBIACEAE. Coprosma foetidissima: Westland, Harihari. UNKNOWN HOSTS. Auckland, Waiotapu, 450 m. New South Wales, Moss Vale. South Australia, Mt. Lofty. Tasmania, Browns River.

Hymenophore resupinate, annual, loosely attached, effused forming linear areas to 10 x 3 cm; hymenial surface reddish-brown with a purple tinge, becoming vinaceous when old, at first reticulateplicate, becoming porose-reticulate, pores 2-3 per mm, often with a linear arrangement; margin irregular, 1-2 mm wide, byssoid, white, becoming darker with age, loosely attached. Context white, to 400 µm thick, of loosely intertwined hyphae embedding crystals, hyphae in the subhymenium encrusted with orange mucilage granules; generative hyphae 3-4 µm diameter, walls 0.5 µm thick, to 1 µm towards the base, hyaline, without clamp connections. Hymenial layer to 50 µm deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses, and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 10-14 x 3-4 µm bearing 4 spores; sterigmata slender, erect, to 4 µm long. Paraphyses subclavate, 8-12 x 3-3.5 µm. Paraphysate hyphae filiform, projecting to 25 µm, tinted, 3-4 µm diameter. Spores allantoid, 4-5 x 0.75-1 µm, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µm thick.

DISTRIBUTION: North America, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on decorticated fallen branches.

Absence of gloeocystidia and clamp connections, presence of paraphysate hyphae, the small basidia, small allantoid spores, and reddish-brown or vinaceous surface of the hymenium separate the species from others present in the region. Many collections resemble resupinate forms of Polyporus merulinus Berk. in surface colour, and in size and shape of spores. They may be separated by certain microfeatures, for P. merulinus is dimitic with clamp connections in the generative hyphae. Although in North America confined to conifers, the species has been found both on conifers and frondose hosts in New Zealand, and occurs mainly on Eucalyptus species in Australia.

TYPE LOCALITY: South Carolina, U.S.A.