MATERIAL: New Zealand: North I.; N. Auckland: in forest remnant in Riverhead State Forest, B. P. Segedin, II vi 1983, PDD 56754.

Spore print white. Spores 5-7 X 3-4 (5.7 X 3.3) µm. Q = 1.7, ellipsoid to elongate, variable in size, larger probably from 2-spored basidia, hyaline, thin-walled, weakly amyloid. Basidia 15 X 6 µm., 2- and 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 40-80 X 9-15 µm., forming abroad, sterile edge to the lamella, basically clavate, hyaline or with red (brown in KOH) sap, producing a complicated system of diverticulate apical blanches all with red sap. Pleurocystidia rather infrequent, much smaller versions of the cheilocystidia, faintly yellow-brown in KOH. Trama of parallel, inflated hyphae 3-15 um diam., colourless, vinaceous brown in Melzer's. Sub hymenium narrow, of narrow hyphae. Context of inflated cells like the trama with a few fine conducting hyphae and some clusters of cells with yellow-brown contents. Pileipellis of repent inflated hyphae with red (brown) sap, producing many branched protuberances rather like the cheilocystidia, with lighter coloured sap. Subpellis of large, inflated cells with brown sap, up to 30µm. diam. Stipe of long, narrow hyphae, with yellow-brown sap, no conducting hyphae present. Caulocystidia none. Clamp connections present

This appears to be same fungus originally described by Singer (1969) from Argentina under Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirbel) Oersted and recorded by Horak (1979) in Tierra del Fuego also growing under Nothofagus. In New Zealand it is likely to be growing under Leptospermum scoparium J. R. et G. Forst. or Kunzea ericoides, (A. Rich.) J. Thompson. Hongo (1977) described a new species from Japan, which he named M. neoavenacea. This has ascending lamellae, much more distinctive pleurocystidia and larger spores than the New Zealand fungus.