On dead leaves of Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov McKKenzie, Glentanner Station, 6.XII.1978, E.H.C. McKenzie & G.C.M. Latch (PDD 40909) [Holotype].
On dead leaves of Chionochloa rubra Zotov Taupo, Desert Road, 2.X11.1980, E.H.C. McKenzie & G.C.M. Latch (PDD 40900). MacKenzie, Takapo, 7.XII.1978, E.H.C. McKenzie & G.C.M. Latch (PDD 40913).
On dead leaves of Chionochloa sp. Fiordland, Secretary Island, 29.X1.1981, C.F. Butcher (PDD 41808).

Colonies on the adaxial leaf surface. Mycelium superficial, pale, branched and anastomosing, smooth to verruculose, septate, 1.5-4 µm thick; hyphae below conidiophores thicker 4-7 µm and brown or dark brown. Stroma absent. Conidiophores arising terminally and laterally on the hyphae or from swollen cells, macronematous, single, composed of a mononematous stipe and a complex head of branches bearing conidia. Stipes erect, flexuous, smooth, septate, brown or dark brown, up to 600 µm long x 7-12 µm thick. Primary branches sometimes bearing branchlets, dark brown or brown, flexuous, up to 150 µm long x 5.5-8 µm thick but usually shorter and thicker c. 25-30 x 7-8 µm. Conidiogenous cells polyblastic, integrated, usually terminal on stipe and branches, sympodial, conidial scars slightly prominent c. 1 µm wide. Conidia usually solitary, occasionally in branched chains, acropleurogenous, ellipsoidal, limoniform or subglobose, pale or very pale brown, smooth or verruculose, non-septate, (5.5-)6.5-10(-14) x (4-)5-6.5(-7) µm.

Coloniae adaxiales. Mycelium ex hyphis superficialibus, pallidis, ramosis et anastomosantibus, laevibus vel verruculosis, septatis, 1.5-4 µm crassis; hyphae sub conidiophoris ad 4-7 µm inflatae, brunneae vel atrobrunneae. Stroma nullum. Conidiophora ex apice lateribusque hypharum oriunda vel e cellulis inflatis, macronematosa, mononematosa, singula. Stipites erecti, flexuosi, laeves, septati, brunnei vel atro-brunnei, usque ad 600 µm longi x 7-12 µm crassi. Rami primarii interdum ramulosi, atro-brunnei vel brunnei, flexuosi, usque ad 150lrm longi x 5.5-8 µm crassi, plerumque c. 25-30 x 7-8 µm. Cellulae condiogenae polyblasticae, in conidiophoris incorporatae, plerumque terminales, sympodiales, cicatrices conidiales c. 1 µm latae. Conidia plerumque solitaria, interdum catenulate ramosa, acropleurogena, ellipsoids, limoniforme vel subglobosa, pallide vel pallide brunnea, laevia vel verruculosa, eseptata, (5.5-)6.5-10(-14) x (4-)5-6.5(-7) µm. In foliis mortuis graminis Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov, C. rubra Zotov, et Chionochloa sp. Holotypus PDD 40909.

Many Periconiella species have been described on leaves of various plants, often pathogenic or hyperparasitic on other fungi (Ellis 1967, Laundon 1971). Three species have been described from New Zealand; P. phormi M.B. Ellis (1967), P. araliacearum G. Laundon, and P. coprosmae G. Laundon (1971). P. liberatas is distinct from any known species of Periconiella. The conidiophores of P. liberatas nearly all originate from within the deep grooves which are characteristic of the adaxial leaf surface of Chionochloa species, and most of the mycelium is confined to the grooves. The specific epithet `liberatas' refers to the conidiophores coming free of the deep leaf grooves.