Coprosma australis (A.Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, September 1954, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17708. Elaeagnus parvifolia Royle Auckland: Anawhata Road; Waitakeres, 900ft, April 1948, J.M.Dingley. Muehlenbeckia australis (Forst.f.) Meissn. Otago: Taieri Mouth, 200ft, May 1952, G.T.S.Baylis. Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. Otago: Hollyford Valley, January 1950, J.M.Dingley. Schefflera digitata Forst. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, November 1946, J.M.Dingley. Otago: Doubtful Sound, February 1948, J.M.Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, loosely attached, effused forming irregular areas 3-9 x 1-3 cm, with several outlying islands; pilei represented by scanty, narrow, reflexed margins; hymenial surface cream, soon alutaceous, rough with reddish-brown or concolorous spines, not creviced; margin thinning out, fibrillose, white, adnate or sometimes incurved and occasionally erect. Spines reddish-brown or concolorous, crowded, some aggregated into groups of 2-4, subulate, flaccid, 0.2-0.6 mm long, apices acute or sometimes penicillate. Context white, 150-230 µ thick, of mainly parallel hyphae more densely arranged beneath the substratum; skeletal hyphae 3-4.5 µ diameter, walls 0.75-1.5 µ thick, hyaline, aseptate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3-3.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 50 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia subclavate, 12-16 x 4.5-5 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata erect, slender, to 3 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, 10-14 x 4-4.5 µ. Cystidia confined to spines, most projecting apically, some laterally, long-cylindrical, 50-90 x 6-10 µ, crystal-coated save on exposed apices. Spores suballantoid, laterally apiculate, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark and decorticated wood of dead branches.

Hymenophorum lignicoloratum, membranaceum, effusum, resupinatum, subinde marginibus anguste reflexis pileii modo. Sunerficies hymenii cremea deinde alutacea, non rimosa. Spinae rufido-brunneae vel alutaceae, 0.2-0.6 mm longae. Contextus hypharum skeletalium, plurimum parallelarum, hyalinarum, 3-3.5 µ diam., generatoriarum 3-3.5 µ diam., nodulosarum. Basidia subclavata, 12-16 x 4.5-5 µ. Cystidia in spines, cylindricalia, 60-90 x 8-10 µ, crystallis crassⁱs tecta, eminentia. Sporae suballantoides, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis.

Separated from other species of the genus by the usually resupinate fructifications, long cystidia confined to the spines, and small suballantoid spores. Cystidia are formed from enlarged skeletal hyphae; they may be abundant or somewhat scantily developed, and are confined to the spines, projecting from their apices and walls. In the interior they are coated with hyaline crystals save towards the base, whereas projecting portions are naked or naked at their apices. Spores are small, suballantoid with lateral apiculi, and scantily produced. This is an anomalous species since most fructifications are resupinate with adnate or loosely attached margins. A few have the margins upturned and free, margins then representing rudimentary pilei, a condition not uncommon in many collections of S. ochraceum. The hyphal system is dimitic, and as no species of Odontia possesses skeletal hyphae, whereas all species of Steccherinum examined are dimitic, the plant has been referred to the latter genus.

Coprosma australis (A.Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, September 1954, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17708.