On branches. Maungaroa, Winton (108).

On branches. Winton (109).

On dead bark and wood of (1) Coprosma robusta, Auckland, Huia, Aug 1963, J. M. Dingley, 24363; (2) Griselinia lucida, Palmerston North, Jul 1919, G. H. Cunningham, 338; (3) Neopanax arboreum, Waitakere Ranges, Anawhata, Jun 1954. J. M. D., 23919; (4) Pittosporum tenuifolium, Anawhata, Aug 1947, J. M. D., 5599; (5) Primus armeniaca, Christchurch, Jul 1950, J. Hume, 23918; (6) Salix sp., Nelson, Karamea, Jan 1964, R.F.R. McN., 24365; . (7) Weinmannia racemosa, Mt Egmont, Feb 1952, G. H. C., 24366; (8) unknown host, Waitakere Ranges, Cutty Grass Track, Jun 1961, R.F.R. McN., 24362.

Fructifications firm-gelatinous, at first pustulate, becoming complicate, gyrose, cerebriform or bluntly lobate to 8 cm in longest dimension, to 3.5 cm high, variable in colour, pallid yellow to orange. Internal hyphae relatively thick-walled, hyaline, clamp connections present. Hymenium composed of conidiophores or basidia, or both; conidiophores branched, septate, bearing globose to oval, hyaline conidia, to 4.1 x 2.8 µm, probasidia broadly elliptical to oval, with basal clamp connections, 15.5-22.5-(26) x 13.5-19.5 µm. becoming longitudinally cruciate-septate; sterigmata cylindrical, 2-3 µm diam., occasionally expanded apically. Basidiospores subglobose, broadly ovate or obovate, hyaline, apiculate, 10.5-15.5 x 7.4-9.9 µm. Germination by repetition.

Angiosperm bark and wood.

Coker, J. Elisha Mitchell scient. Soc. 35: pl. 23, f. 2. pl. 41, f. 5. pl. 57, f. 1-4. 1920; Looney, Stud. nat. Hist. Iowa Univ. 15 (1): pl. 2, 3. 1933.

The taxonomic treatment of Looney (1933, p. 28) and Olive (1947, p. 95) is adopted and Tremella mesenterica regarded as a synonym of T. lutescens, Martin (1952, p. 75) restricted the name T. lutescens to pallid yellow forms lacking conidia and retained T. mesenterica for those forms producing both conidia and basidia. The microscopical differences between these two forms observed by Martin were not apparent in New Zealand material.
T. lutescens was first recorded from New Zealand by Cooke (1879, p. 57). Two collections at Kew from the localities cited by Cooke ("Maungaroa, N.Z." and "Winton, N.Z.") both appear to be correctly identified, although the former is sterile. T. lutescens var. alba Berk. was recorded from New Zealand by Colenso (1886, p. 306) but the place and date of publication of this variety cannot be traced. It is possibly a herbarium name. A collection at Kew labelled "var. alba" (Colenso bl23) is probably T. fuciformis rather than T. lutescens.
T. mesenterica was recorded from New Zealand by Cooke (1879, p. 57). The collection cited by Cooke cannot be traced at Kew. T. lutescens may be distinguished by the large, yellow to orange fructifications and is not uncommon during autumn and winter.

Europe.