Under (1) N. fusca and N. menziesii, Nelson: Maruia, 25.iv.l969, R. F. R. McN.; Lake Daniels Track, 15.V.1969, R. F, R. McN. (2) N, menziesii. Nelson: Lake Daniels Track, 15.V.1969, R. F. R. McN. (3) N. solandri, Canterbury: Craigieburn, 5.ii.l969, E. Horak, (holotype, pdd 30655).

pileus: 3.5-6.5 cm diam., hemispherical or convex when young, centrally depressed at maturity, slightly to moderately viscid, glabrous, innately subpruinose under lens, velar remnants absent, often multicoloured, dull greyish magenta with greenish yellow or dark brown patches, sordid greyish green, or sooty grey with sordid greenish tints, often with dull yellowish patches particularly toward centre, greyish green colours predominating in dried specimens; margins entire, moderately thin, non-pectinate. Cuticle 75-100 µm, thick, composed of erect, hyaline, thin-walled, septate, hair-like hyphae 2-5 µm, diam., without coloured contents in KOH, terminal cells unspecialised, often with acuminate or irregularly acuminate apices, occasionally projecting to 50 µm beyond general level of cuticle, becoming disorganised and partially gelatinised with age; pilocystidia absent. lamellae: adnate, crowded, moderately thick, simple or occasionally forked near stipe, to 5 mm deep, white to pallid creamy white, not discoloured at maturity, lamellulae rare Or absent. stipe: 2-4 cm long, ± equal, 1-1.5 cm diam., dry, solid, finely furfuraceous under lens, pallid greyish magenta, pallid rose, or pallid sooty grey, flesh white, unchanging on exposure to air. Cuticle composed of interwoven hyphae 2.5-5 µm diam., terminal cells projecting and often aggregated into clumps. spores: spore print not obtained; spores broadly elliptical, obliquely apiculate, apiculus to 1.5-(2) µm long, 7.5-10.5 X 7-9 µm, ornamentation of moderately dense amyloid verrucae to 0.7-(l) µm high, in confluent groups and forming nodulate bands, joined by fine amyloid ridges and forming an incomplete reticulum, or occasionally isolated; plage distinct. hymenium: basidia hyaline, clavate, 39-52 X 10-13.5 µn, 4-spored, sterigmata to 8 µm long: pleurocystidia scattered, numerous, broadly fusiform or subclavate, hyaline, thin-walled, contents refractive in KOH, projecting to 15 µm beyond basidia, apices bluntly acuminate, acuminate or apiculate, 52-78 X 8-13.5 µm, cheilocystidia numerous, similar to pleurocystidia but shorter. hymenophoral trama: heteromerous, inter-mixed, oleiferous hyphae present. context of pileus: white, unchanging; structure heteromerous, clamp connections absent. taste: lamellae and context mild. chemical characters: formalin on context—n.r.; phenol on context—slowly deep vinaceous; FeSO4 on context—rapidly salmon pink; guaiacol on stipe base—n.r.: KOH on pileus—bleaching action leaving area orange-red; on context—n.r.; NH4OH on pileus—green; on context —n.r.

Solitary or gregarious under Nothofagus.

Pileus centraliter depressus 3.5-6.5 cm diam., obscure griseo-magenteus ad sordide griseo-viridem, viscidus, glaber; veli vestigia deficiunt; margines integri, non pectinati. Lamellae adnatae, ad 5 mm altae, pallide cremeo-albae; lamellulae rarae. Stipes 2-4 cm longus, plus minusve aequalis, 1-1.5 cm diam., solidus, siccus, concolor cum pileo. Sporae late ellipticae 7.5-10,5 x 7-9 µm amyloides dense ornatae.

Russula atrovirens also gives a distinctive green colour reaction of the pileus to NH4OH and the spores are densely verrucose. It belongs in section Rigidae Fr. and is possibly best placed in subsection Amoeninae Sing. as defined by Singer ( 1962). Considerable variation in colours of both pileus and stipe occurs in this species. The green colours of the pileus are not always dominant in fresh material, but quickly appear when fructifications are dried.

holotype, pdd 30655