Podocarpus hallii Kirk. Auckland: Mt. Tongariro, 3,000ft, January, 1547, G.H.C.; Silica Springs Track, Mt. Ruapehu. 2,800ft, January, 1954, S.D. Baker; type collection, P.D.D. herbarium. No. 13573. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,000ft, January, 1953, J.M. Dingley. Podocarpus totara Don. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J.M. Dingley; Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, June, 1952, G.H.C. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 2,500ft, March, 1951, J.M. Dingley; Dawson Falls. Mt. Egmont, 2,800ft, January, 1952, J.M. Dingley. Otago: Ulva Islet, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J.M. Dingley.

Hymenophore perennial, cretaceous, adnate though tending to lift with the bark when dry, effused forming irregularly linear areas to 28 x 5 cm, or sometimes numerous irregularly elliptical colonies 1-3 x 1-2 cm; surface cream, staining ochre in patches, even, at length scantily, somewhat areolately, creviced; margin thinning out, sometimes abrupt and cliff-like, concolorous, adnate, compact. Context white, 0.2-1 mm thick, composed of numerous layers each 35-55 µ deep, basal layer narrow, of compacted partly gelatinized parallel hyphae, intermediate layer of mainly vertical hyphae and irregular rows of cystidia; generative hyphae 3.5-4 µ diameter, wall 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, naked, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 40 µ deep, a close palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidia. Basidia subclavate, projecting, 16-22 x 5-6 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, 14-16 x 4-5 µ. Cystidia cylindrical with apices rounded or bluntly acuminate, sometimes narrowly conical, arranged in dense rows in the context and hymenium, 16-34 x 7-9 µ, coarsely crystal coated, tending to disappear from the base. Spores elliptical, apiculate, 7-8 x 4-4.5 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on bark of dead branches and trunks.

Hymenophorum perenne, stratosum, cretaceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie cremea, aequa, raro rimosa. Hyphae contextus fibulatae, 3.5-4 µ diam., nudae. Basidia subclavata, 16-22 x 5-6 µ, 4 sporis. Cystidia cylindricalia, 16-34 x 7-9 µ, crystallis crassis tecta. Sporae ellipticae, 7-8 x 4-4.5 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Specific features are the perennial thick context with stratose, cylindrical cystidia arranged in zones separated from one another by parallel bands of partly gelatinized hyphae, and small elliptical spores. Cystidia are small, crystal coated throughout, often arranged somewhat irregularly, and tend to disappear from basal layers of thick specimens, leaving lacunae in the tissues. Spores are scantily developed and tend to collapse soon after reaching maturity.
In its perennial stratose fructifications, masses of cystidia and small spores, the species resembles P. crustosa. The latter may be separated by the brown zones of the context, formed from granules of mucilage arranged in parallel bands. P. totara appears to be confined to two species of Podocarpus, the Maori name for both being totara, hence the specific name.

Auckland: Mt. Tongariro, 3,000ft, January, 1547, G.H.C.; Silica Springs Track, Mt. Ruapehu. 2,800ft, January, 1954, S.D. Baker; type collection, P.D.D. herbarium. No. 13573.

Hyphae hyaline, thin- to slightly thick-walled, 2-4 µm wide, clamped at all septa. Cystidia thickwalled, encrusted, 20-45 x 5-8.5 µm, when naked up to 5 µm wide. Basidia cylindrical, 20-35 x 5-6.5 µm. Spores ellipsoid to cylindrical, smoothwalled, not amyloid, 7-9 x 3.5-4 µm.

The type material is in poor condition, with hyphal characters obscure and spores absent. Other PDD collections also were found to be sterile. Two fresh collections on Podocarpus hallii made at the type locality (PDD 48759, 48760) provided the basis for the above description of hyphal septation and spores. The species was well described by Cunningham (1955, 1963), although cystidia did not appear to be arranged in rows. The species belongs to Phlebia Fr. because of its waxy consistency when fresh, clamped hyphae, ellipsoid spores, and narrowly clavate basidia. PDD collections were annotated by H.H. Burdsall as Phlebia totara but this combination was not published (Burdsall, pers. comm.).

Holotype: on Podocarpus hallii Kirk, New Zealand, Taupo, Mt Ruapehu, Silica Springs Track, coll. S. D. Baker, Jan. 1954 (PDD 13573).