Dracophyllum latifolium A.Cunn. Auckland: Mt. Te Aroha, 2,900ft, November 1946, G.H.C. Metrosideros robusta A.Cunn. Auckland: Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, June 1946, April, 1948, J.M.Dingley; Stony Creek, Henderson, 600ft, April 1948, J.M.Dingley; Cascade Park, Waitakeres, 700ft, May 1948, J.M.Dingley; Ngaururu, Whangarei, June, 1948, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7019; Waiotapu, Rotorua, 1,200ft, June, 1950, J.M.Dingley; Glen Esk Valley, Piha, May, 1951, J.M.Dingley; Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 1,000ft; March 1954, J.M.Dingley. Otago: Horse Shoe Bay, Stewart Island, February 1954, J.M.Dingley.

Hymenophore annual. membranous, loosely attached, scattered, becoming coalesced. Pilei commonly resupinate, or resupinate with raised margins when 1-5 mm radius, at first orbicular and consisting of numerous small scattered colonies 2-10 mm diameter, coalescing to form irregularly linear^- areas to 12 x 3 cm; pileus surface straw colour, with appressed fibrils radiately arranged, striate, occasionally zoned with different bands of colour, when resupinate margins thinning out, fibrillose, 1-3 mm wide, grey or isabelline; hymenial surface at first cream, with reddish blotches where injured, soon darkening to purplish or plum, not creviced but showing concentric ridges or angular lines of colour indicating coalesced margins. Context isabelline or wood colour, 0.1-0.25 mm thick, of parallel compacted hyphae, with a yellow cortex beneath pileus hairs; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3-4 µ diameter, walls 0.5-l µ thick, hyaline, freely septate, somewhat freely branched, without clamp connexions; scattered lenses of crystals embedded in tissues of the context and hymenium. Hymenial layer 50-90 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and conducting hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 28-35 x 6-8 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Conducting hyphae arising in the base of the subhymenium and upper layers of the context, extending obliquely into the hymenium and projecting to 25 µ, 60-95 x 6-9 µ, filled with granules and oil globules, fuscus, walls 0.5 µ thick. Spores oblong with rounded ends, 7-10 x 5-6 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.25 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Loosely attached on bark of dead branches and trunks.

Hymenophorum annuum, membranaceum, laxe adjunctum, resupinatum vel angustis reflexis marginibus, primo orbiculatum, 2-10 mm diam., deinde coalitum ad 12 x 3 cm; pileus 1-5 mm radio, exteriore parte appressis fibrillis, stramineus; superficies hymenii cremea, deinde sordido-brunnea, purpurea tincta, non rimosa. Contextus isabellinus, 0.1-0.25 mm crassus. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 3-4 µ diam., parietibus 0.5-l µ crassis, hyalinae, septatae, enodulosae. Basidia subclavata, 28-35 x 6-8 µ. Hyphae adducentes, parietibus 0.5 µ crassis. Sporae oblongae, apicibus rotundis, 7-10 x 5-6 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Both S. scutellatum and S. sanguinolentum possess monomitic hyphal systems, conspicuous conducting hyphae, and turn scarlet where cut or bruised on the hymenial surface. S. scutellatum differs in its scutelliform fructifications, which are commonly resupinate (or, if pileate, pilei are merely upturned margins), larger spores, broader basidia, and different host range. The hymenial surface is of different colour, not creviced at any stage, and is marked by colour lines or raised ridges where colonies have coalesced. The collection from Dracophyllum differs in several features, the context being thinner, basidia larger (40-56 x 10-12 µ), spores 10-12 x 6-7 µ. Until further collections come to hand, and it can be ascertained if these features are constant, it has been held under the present species. In actively growing plants conducting hyphae of S. scutellatum project, as is shown in the sectional drawing; but as plants age they collapse and are replaced with organs which do not extend beyond the surface.

Ngaururu, Whangarei, June, 1948, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7019