Type: Corticolous Fungi; Description: Ascomata perithecial, scattered or densely gregarious, globose to broadly pyriform, light red becoming reddish brown, scaly or smooth, 0.15–0.35 mm in diameter, ostiole inconspicuous; on bark on stems. Asci cylindrical to clavate, 20–50 × 4–7 μm. Ascospores elliptical, 1-septate, 8–16 × 3–5 μm, smooth, hyaline. Macroconidia cylindrical, straight, 1–3-septate, 24–34 × 5–7 μm, smooth, hyaline, with a prominent basal abscission scar. Microconidia oblong to elliptical, 0-septate, 4–7 × 2–5 μm, smooth, hyaline.

Distribution: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Taupo, Wellington, Gisborne, Buller, Westland, Fiordland, Mid Canterbury, Stewart Island.; 1st Record: Dingley (1951: as Nectria coprosmae and Nectria tawa).

Notes: This belongs in Neonectria, as a variety of Neonectria radicicola (Gerlach & Nilsson) Mantiri & Samuels, but the new combination for the variety has not been made.

Significance: None.; Host(s): Beilschmiedia tawa, Coprosma grandifolia, C. lucida, Cyathea medullaris, Fuchsia excorticata, Phormium tenax, Ripogonum scandens.

Specimens examined: Holotype. Teleomorph: New Zealand. North Island. Auckland: Waitemata City, Waitakere Ranges, off Anawhata Rd, on Coprosma australis (A. Rich.) Robinson, 16 Aug. 1947, Dingley (PDD 7472, as Nectria coprosmae). Anamorph: New Zealand. North Island. Auckland: Whangapona, dried culture ex Coprosma australis, Aug. 1954, Dingley (IMI 70014). New Zealand. North Island. Auckland: Riverhead State Forest along Ararimu Rd, on bark and roots of Coprosma sp., 2 Aug. 1973, Samuel, 73-152 (PDD 31884, culture as IMI 313224); Waitemata City, Waitakere Ranges, Marguerite Track, on Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Conn.) Kirk, 21. Mar. 1977, Samuels 77-17 (PDD 36655; cultures as ICMP 9341, IMI 313232); Auckland City, Hillsboro, Wattle Bay, on dead flowering stalk of Gahnia sp., 19 Aug. 1980, Samuels (80-95) & Holloway (PDD 41419, culture as IMI 313231). Northland: Bay of Islands County, Puketi Forest, vic. Forest Headquarters, Loop Track, on bark of tree, 2 Jun. 1986, Samuels (82-92) & Johnston (PDD 44311; cultures as ICMP 9344, IMI 313233); Hokianga County, Omahuta State Forest, Omahuta Kauri Sanctuary, on bark of Olearia sp., 10 May 1981, Samuels (81-99) & Horak (PDD 47917). Auckland: Waitemata City, Titirangi, on Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Kirk, May 1948, Dingley (PDD 7556, Holotype of Nectria tawa); Waitakere Ranges, Piha Rd, Cowan Track, on indet. tree, 4 June 1983, Samuels (83-132) & Rossman (PDD 46314); Cuttygrass Track, on bark and wood of Coprosma australis, 17 Dec. 1974, Dingley, Francis & Samuels (74-138) (PDD 34022). Waikato: vic. Te Awamutu, Mt Pirongia, on Ripogonum scandens J.R. & G. Forst., Apr. 1985, P. R. Johnston (PDD 47759, GJS 85-108). Gisborne; Urewera National Park, Lake Waikaremoana, track to Lake Ruapani, on bark of Weinmannia racemosa Linn. f., 31 May 1983, Samuels (83-178) et al. (PDD 46355); vic. Motor Camp, Tawa Loop Track, on bark, 13 May 1985, Samuels (85-65) & Kohn (PDD 47764). South Island. Buller: 22 km SE of Murchison P.O., on the Murchison-Maruia Saddle Rd, on Fuchsia excorticata (J.R. & G. Forst.) Linn. f., 7 May 1985, Samuels (85-57), Johnston & Kohn (PDD 47766). Westland: N of Hari Hari, Lake Mahinapua Walkway, on bark of indet, tree, 20 May 1983, Samuels (83-155), Matsushima & Rossman (PDD 46335; cultures as ICMP 9345, IMI 313240); Mt Aspiring Natl Park, Haast Pass, 30 km E of Haast Junction, Roaring Billy Forest Walk, on bark of Metrosideros sp., 28 Apr. 1985, Samuels (85-39) & Kohn (PDD 47767); 23 km E of Haast junction, along Gap Creek, on bark, 28 Apr. 1985, Samuels (85-33) & Kohn (PDD 47765); Westland Natl Park, Franz Josef, track to Lake Wombat, on bark, 10 Apr, 1983, Samuels (83-187) & Petersen (PDD 46364).

Teleomorph: Perithecia morphologically and anatomically identical to perithecia of N. radicicola var. radicicola but with distinct anamorph. Asci and ascospores resembling those of N. radicicola var. radicicola, ascospores (8-) 12 (-16) x (3-) 4-5 (-6) µm, averaging 11.3 ±1.33 x 4.3 ± 0.7 µm.
Anamorph: Cylindrocarpon destructans var. coprosmae (C. Booth) Brayford & Samuels, comb. nov.
Anamorph: Conidiophores in nature unbranched and monophialidic, forming in aerial mycelium, or forming penicillate fascicles on the surface of the substrate, 50-150 µm long, 4-6 m wide at the base. Conidiogenous cells cylindrical, 20-75 µm long x 2 µm wide at the tip; apex with periclinal thickening and collarette. Microconidia found in nature oblong to ellipsoidal or cylindrical, 4-16.8 (-26^.5) x 2-4.4 (-6)µm, with or without a flat, protuberant basal abscission scar. Macroconidia found in nature cylindrical, straight, with a flat, protuberant basal abscission scar, 1-3-septate; 3-septate macroconidia (24-) 26.3-34.3 (-38) x (5-) 5.5-6.8 (-7) µm.
Colonies on PDA reaching 4-10 mm diam after 10 d at 20^°; aerial mycelium sparse to floccose, initially white, becoming beige to brown. Pigmentation of agar variable and dependent upon the strain; sometimes beige, often dark brown. Conidiophores arising abundantly from the aerial mycelium and from the surface of the agar; aerial conidiophores 40-80 µm long, unbranched and monophialidic or once branched, each branch terminating in a single phialide; conidiophores arising from the surface of the colony densely branched and fasciculate, each branch terminating in one to a few conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells cylindrical or tapering slightly from base to tip, straight, (15-) 20-40 (-55) µm long x 3-4 µm wide at base x 2 µm wide at tip; apex with periclinal thickening, collarette flared or not. Microconidia cylindrical, ellipsoid, or ovoid, 5-15 x 4-6 µm, base with a protuberant flat abscission scar, 0-1-septate, colourless, collecting in slimy colourless droplets at the tip of each phialide. Macroconidia arising in pionnotes from densely branching clusters of conidiophores; phialides from irregularly branching clusters of cells bearing cylindrical phialides with periclinal thickening and sometimes a flared tip. Macroconidia forming in a layer of slime on the surface of the agar, typically straight, but sometimes curved, cylindrical with obtuse apex and protruding basal abscission scar, colourless, 1-5-septate, but most 3-septate when grown in agar culture. Three-septate conidia on PSA or SNA (25-) 28.3-37.7 (-45) x (4-) 4.7-6.3 (-7.5) µm. Distinct chlamydospores not formed, but in old cultures brown, swollen vegetative hyphae without thickened walls may occur.

Known distribution: New Zealand (North and South Islands).

Habitat: On many different woody and herbaceous plants including Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae), Coprosma (Rubiaceae), Fuchsia (Onagraceae), Olearia (Asteraceae), Ripogonum (Smilacaceae), Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae), and on the tree fern Cyathea medullaris (Forst. f.) Bernh.