Beilschmiedia tarairi (A.Cunn.) Benth. & Hook.f. Auckland: Russell Road, Ngaitonga Range, 300ft, June 1948, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 6909. Beilschmiedia tawa (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. & Benth. Wellington: Weraroa, 50ft, July, 1919, G.H.C. Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Western Hills, Whangarei, 300ft, May 1948, J.M.Dingley; Rereatukahia, Katikati, 500ft, September 1950, G.H.C. Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. Wellington: Lake Papaetonga, 50ft, October 1930, G.H.C. Vitex lucens Kirk. Auckland: Mt. Wellington, 150ft, May 1942, R.W.Denne

Hymenophore annual or perennial, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, to 10 mm radius, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, applanate or umbonate and imbricate when to 2.5 cm radius, 4-6 cm wide, or resupinate when appearing as several orbicular discs of varying size (3-10 mm) scattered over the substratum; pileus surface chestnut-brown, hirsute, concentrically zoned and sulcate, radiately sulcate, when old becoming denuded partly or wholly and exposing the brown cortex; margin concolorous, inturned, crenate; hymenial surface grey when fresh, when dry bright chrome-yellow, even, or more often with raised radiating ridges, irregular spines or projections, finally sparsely creviced. Context ferruginous, 0.2-0.3 mm thick in the current layer, in stratose forms to 1 cm thick near the base, composed of compact mainly parallel hyphae with cemented walls, and a coloured cortex beneath the surface hairs; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3-4 µ diameter, walls 0.5 µ thick (to l µ thick in the cortex and surface hairs), pallid chestnut-brown, septate, branched, with prominent clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 100 µ deep, a dense cemented palisade of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia sub-clavate, 32-56 x 7-9 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, stout, to 10 µ long. Paraphyses slightly narrower and about two-thirds the length of the basidia. Gloeocystidia cylindrical or subclavate, arising in the base of the hymenium and traversing the hymenium, not projecting, scattered or crowded, 60-110 x 6-10 µ, collapsing and leaving lacunae in the hymenial layer of old specimens. Spores elliptical, oval, or obovate, some apiculate, 8-12 x 6-7.5 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand

HABITAT. Bark or decorticated decaying wood of erect trunks.

Hymenophorum perenne, coriaceum, sessile. Pileus effuso-reflexus vel umbonatus, saepe imbricatus, 1-2.5 cm radio, 4-6 cm latus; superficie castanea, hirsuta, concentraliter sulcata; superficies hymenii miniata, aequa vel inaequaliter radiatis striis vel raro spinis vel verrucis, parce rimosa. Contextus ferrugineus, 0.2-0.3 mm crassus; hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 3-4 µ diam., parietibus 0.5 µ crassis, pallide brunneae, septatae, nodulosae. Basidia subclavata, 32-56 x 8-9 µ. Gloeocystidia cylindricalia, 60-110 x 6-10 µ. Sporae ellipticae, ovales vel obovatae, 8-12 x 6-7.5 µ, leves, hyalinae.

One of the most easily recognized species present in New Zealand, S. aotearoa may be differentiated by the hirsute and zoned pileus, long gloeocystidia, brown hyphae of the context, monomitic hyphal system, large broadly elliptical spores and chrome-yellow colour of the hymenial surface. The species is perennial, as is shown by numerous zones in the context of old specimens. Though even in young specimens, as plants age the hymenium may become radiately lamellate, studded with irregular warts, or even shallowly rugulose-porose. Sections are striking; for the generative hyphae are brown, cortex deep chestnut-brown and cemented, and the hymenial layer is hyaline. Basidia are large, firmly compacted into a palisade with associated paraphyses and gloeocystidia, and collapse as soon as spores are shed. Gloeocystidia are difficult to detect unless sections are taken from margins of growing tissues; for contents are colourless and the walls soon collapse, leaving cavities in the base of the hymenial layer.
Nothing resembling the species was seen in Kew herbarium. Filed under S. contrarium Berk. there is a collection of S. aotearoa ex "Puhi Puhi, N.Z., No. 221, T. Kirk". On the sheet Bresadola had written "An St. medicum Currey. Sed vix Stereum; ? Irpex. Non S. scytalis affine". Bresadola (1916, 232) referred both S. contrarium and S. scytale Berk. to S. princeps (Jungh.) Sacc., a different plant with acanthophyses. Our species does not resemble any of these. Its specific name is derived from the Maori name of New Zealand.

Beilschmiedia tarairi (A.Cunn.) Benth. & Hook.f. Auckland: Russell Road, Ngaitonga Range, 300ft, June 1948, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 6909.