ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: 6 Collections were examined in addition to the holotype. All were from New Zealand, and included: AUCKLAND; Waitakere Ra., Fairy Falls Track, on Astelia solandri, P. R. Johnston, G. J. Samuels, R. Korf, J. Paden, 13 Aug 1981 (PDD 41862); Waitakere Ra., Old Coach Trail, on Astelia trinervia Kirk, P. R. Johnston, G. J. Samuels, K. Haggerty, 24 Aug 1982 (PDD 42934). GISBORNE: Lake Waikaremoana, Black Beech Track, on Astelia solandri, P.R. Johnston, E. Horak, 23 May 1981 (PDD 41860).

Ascocarps deeply immersed, urceolate, semi-erumpent, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., opening relatively narrow, round; crystalline margin wide, entire, greyish in colour. Margin in cross-section 150 µm wide. Crystals forming a 120-130 µm wide, wedge-shaped layer at top of margin. Wall layer 5-10 µm wide, extending from top of margin and under subhymenium, comprising pale brown, thin-walled, 2-4 µm diam. hyphae. Wall surrounded by 40-60 µm wide stromatic layer, comprising dark brown, thick-walled, irregularly orientated hyphae. Periphyses 30-40 x 2-3 µm, mostly unbranching. Subhymenium faintly amyloid in some collections. Paraphyses 1-1.5 µm diam., not differentiated at tips, non-amyloid. Asci 420-520 x 6-8µm, cap 4-6 µm thick with a central pore, 8-spored. Spores 380-610 x 3-4.5 µm, cells 3-4.5 µm long, sometimes with an indistinct gelatinous sheath.
Characteristics in culture: Ascospores germinating on agar plates in 3-4 days, forming colonies on OA 1.5-3 cm diam. after 5 weeks. Aerial mycelium dense, cottony, white to pale pink. Pycnidia globose, 300-500 µm diam., forming on agar surface, dark-walled, opening by an irregular split in the wall. Pycnidial wall comprising tangled, dark brown, gelatinous, 2 µm diam. hyphae. Conidiogenous cells arising from inner wall layers, cylindric, 7-9 x 1.5-3 µm, hyaline, phialidic, solitary or on short, unbranching conidiophores, apertures apical, or lateral and immediately below transverse septa. Conidia acropleurogenous, 6-12 (-14) x 1-1.8 (-2) µm, cylindric with rounded ends, hyaline.

Habitat: Commonly found on dead leaves of Astelia species.

Ascocarpi immersi, profunde cupulati, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., margine integro, griseo, in sectione transversali 150 µm crasso. Stratum crystallinum 120-130 µm crassum. Stratum parietis et stroma 40-60 µm crassa, hypharis 2-4 µm diam., brunneis. Periphysoidea 30-40 x 2-3 µm, non ramosa. Paraphyses filiformes, simplices, in iodo non caerulescentes. Asci 420-520 x 6-8 µm, apice 4-6 µm crassi, 8-spori. Sporae 380-610 x 3-4.5µm, cellulis 3-4.5 µm longis. Status conidialis: Coleophoma-similis.
Holotypus: PDD 41859 ex Astelia solandri A. Cunningham

Etymology: asteliae; refers to the host plant. Stictis trinervia is another dark-walled Stictis species found on Astelia leaves; for differences between the 2 species see notes under S. trinervia. S. asteliae can be separated from S. subiculata, the other dark-walled Stictis with a stromatic outer wall layer, by the external appearance of the ascocarps (only S. subiculata has a hyphal subiculum surrounding the ascocarp), and differences in ascospore and conidial width. S. subiculata has not been found on Astelia.

Holotype: New Zealand: GISBORNE: Lake Waikaremoana, Aniwaniwa Falls Track, on Astelia solandri, P.R. Johnston, E. Horak, 28 May 1981 (PDD 41859).