Beilschmiedia tarairi (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f. Auckland: Waiwera, October, 1950, J.M. Dingley. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Westland: Harihari, November, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Swanson, 400ft, April, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Metrosideros robusta A. Cunn. Auckland: Glen Esk Valley, Piha, May, 1951, J.M. Dingley. Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. Westland: Staircase Creek, 2,000 feet, November, 1952, S.D. Baker, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11871. Ahaura, November, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Pittosporum tenuifolium Banks & Sol. Auckland: Whitianga Road, Coroanandel Peninsula, 600ft, October, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Weinmannia racemosa L.f. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 2,500ft, March, 1951, J. M. Dingley. Unknown hosts. Auckland: Mt. Pihanga, 2,000ft, October, 1949, J.M. Dingley; Otau, Hunua Range, April, 1950, J.M. Dingley; Whakarewarewa, 1,200 feet, June, 1950, J.M. Dingley. Wellington: Whakatikei Forest Reserve. June, 1923, J.C. Neill; Wanganui, March, 1946, J.M. Dingley.

Hymenophore annual or perennial, ceraceous, brittle, adnate but tending to lift when old, effused forming irregular areas 12-20 x 5-7 cm; surface cream, yellow-ochre, sometimes buff when old, even, occasionally slightly tuberculate, coarsely irregularly creviced; margin thinning out, white, adnate, fibrillose. Context white or cream, 100-250 µ thick, of one to three irregular zones, basal layer of parallel hyphae loosely arranged, scanty, intermediate layer of mainly upright hyphae densely compacted and containing 1-3 zones of cystidia irregularly arranged, embedding masses of crystals; generative hyphae 2.5-3 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, crystal coated, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 25 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidia. Basidia subclavate, 16-20 x 4-5 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 4 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, similar to but smaller than the basidia. Cystidia present in all tissues, a few projecting to 20 µ, irregularly cylindrical with rounded ends, or slightly subclavate, 24-72 x 8-14 µ, crystal coated, crystals progressively coarser basally. Spores obovate or pip-shaped, apiculate, 4-5 x 3-3.5 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on bark or decorticated dead wood.

Hymenophorum annuum vel perenne, ceraceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie cremea, ochracea, interdum bubalina, aequa, late rimosa. Hyphae contextus fibulatae, 2.5-3 µ diam., crystallis tecta. Basidia subclavata, 16-20 x 4-5 µ, 4 sporis. Cystidia cylindricalia, 24-72 x 8-14 µ, crystallis crassis tecta. Sporae obovatac vel obovatae attenuato-apiculatae, 4-5 x 3-3.5 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Context hyphae are coated with fine crystals, and between the hyphae lie masses of crystals which give to sections their chalky appearance. Cystidia vary appreciably in size, becoming progressively larger and more coarsely crystal coated towards the base. In some collections the context is zoned, or cystidia may be arranged in 1-3 irregular layers. Spores are mostly pip-shaped, and aid separation of the species from others in the section.

Westland: Staircase Creek, 2,000 feet, November, 1952, S.D. Baker, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11871.

Basidiome pellicular to membranaceous, separable. Hymenial surface smooth to warted, cream-coloured to ochraceous, locally with orange spots. Margin fibrillose. Subicular hyphae thin- to slightly thickwalled, hyaline, 1.5-4 µm wide, with clamps at all primary septa. Hyphae often with crystals, sometimes completely ensheathed. lamprocystidia hyaline, somewhat thick-walled, heavily encrusted, 25-50 x 7.5-12 µm. Encrustation dissolving in KOH, revealing a rather thin-walled upper part of the cystidium, cylindrical, 3.5-4.5 µm wide. Leptocystidih hyaline, thin-walled, acute; 30-55 x 2.5-3.5 µm, sometimes with narrow apical protrusion. Basidia clavate to subcylindrical, 15-24.x 3-4 µm, with four slender sterigmata. Spores hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, obovoid, 4-55 x 2.5-3.5 µm, not amyloid.

The species is best classified in Ceraceomyces Jülich despite its cystidia and relatively thick hymenial layer. Encrusted cystidia are also present in C. cystidiatus (J. Eriksson & Hjortstam) Hjortstam, but here the hymenial layer is much thinner. In fact, C. cerebrosus may represent an intermediate between Ceraceomyces and Phanerochaete Karsten, sharing with the latter similar cystidia and a relatively thick hymenial layer. Traditionally, Phanerochaete is restricted to species without clamps or with occasional clamps (sometimes in whorls) on the subicular hyphae. It is remarkable that New Zealand has several species which are best classified in Ceraceomyces, but show strong tendencies towards other related genera. C. corymbatus (G.H. Cunn.) Stalpers and C. varicolor (G.H. Cunn.) Stalpers, for example, are intermediates between this genus and Ceraceomerulius Bond. and Meruliopsis Bond., respectively (if these genera are considered as distinct).

Holotype: on Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst., New Zealand, Westland, Staircase Creek, coll. S.D. Baker, Nov. 1954 (PDD 11871).