Albizzia lophantha Benth. Auckland. Campbell's Bay, November, 1946, Mrs. E.E.Chamberlain. Aristotelia serrata (Forst.f.) Oliver Westland. Weheka, 600 ft., November, 1946, J.M.Dingley. Beilschmiedia tawa (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. & Benth. Auckland. Lake Rotoehu, 1,200 ft., May, 1952, G.H.C. Lake Okataina, 1,400ft., December, 1953, G.H.C. Wellington. Pohangina Reserve, 200 ft., September, 1953, G.H.C. Coriaria arborea Linds. Auckland. Atkinson Park, Waitakeres, 800 ft., June, 1953, J.M.Dingley. Cupressus macrocarpa Hartw. Auckland. Campbell's Bay, Jannary, 1953, E.E.Chamberlain. Hedycarya arborea Forst. Auckland. Huia, October, 1953, J.M.Dingley. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Auckland. Kohekohe, near Waiuku, February, 1953, J.M.Dingley. Leucopogon fasciculatus (Forst.f.) A.Rich. Auckland. Cornwallis, 50 ft., April, October, 1953, J.D.Atkinson. Melicytus ramiflorus Forst. Auckland. Kauaeranga, Thames, October, 1950, J.M.Dingley. Muehlenbeckia australis (Forst.f.) Meissn. Wellington. Rata, 100 ft., January, 1954, G.H.C. Otago. Taieri Mouth, 200 ft., May, 1952, G.T.S.Baylis. Myrtus bullata Sol. Wellington. Bruce's Reserve, Hunterville, 400 ft., September, 1953, G.H.C. Myrtus pedunculata Hook.f. Wellington. Carter's Bush, Carterton, 150 ft., December, 1952, G.H.C. Olearia sp. Otago. Bragg's Bay, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J.M.Dingley. Oxylobium sp. Auckland, Campbell's Bay, November, 1946, Mrs. E.E.Chamberlain. Podocarpus totara Don. Auckland. Te Kuiti, January, 1953, J.D.Atkinson. Wellington. Carter's Bush, Carterton, 150 ft., December, 1952, G.H.C. Rhabdothamnus solandri A. Cunn. Auckland. Manaia, Whangarei Heads. October, 1947, J.M.Dingley. Rhipogonum scandens Forst. Wellington. Pohangina Reserve, 200 ft., September, 1953, G.H.C. Rubus australis Forst. Auckland. Clevedon, August, 1949, J.M.Dingley. Wellington, Carter's Bush, Carterton, 150 ft., December, 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11838. Ohakune, 2,000 ft., December, 1953, J.M.Dingley. Otago. Ryan's Creek track, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J.M.Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, sometimes reviving a second season, adnate, membranous, effused forming linear areas to 25 x 3 cm., or as frequently numerous small elliptical scattered colonies to 2 x 1 cm.; surface white, becoming cream, alutaceous or occasionally pinkish-buff, even, at length areolately creviced mainly in the centre; margin thinning out, white, fibrillose, adnate. Context 60-400 µ thick, cream, sometimes arranged in two layers, composed of a narrow base of parallel hyphae, an intermediate layer of scanty woven hyphae, dichophyses, gloeocystidia and crystals scattered or arranged in groups or lenses; generative hyphae to 4 µ diameter, wall 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connections. Hymenial layer to 50 µ deep, composed of a palisade of basidia and paraphyses, gloeocystidia and dichophyses. Basidia subclavate, 35-56 x 6-9 µ, projecting to 20 µ, 4-spored, sterigmata upright, slender, to 8 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Gloeocystidia abundant or scanty, in the hymenial layer cylindrical with rounded apex, scarcely or not projecting, 40-60 x 5-6 µ, in context clavate, obovate, fusiform, sometimes moniliform, often distorted and forked at the base, 24-60 x 6-12 µ. Dichophyses arranged in one or two dense zones in the hymenial layer and scattered through the context, staining deeply, 14-16 µ across though sometimes much smaller, irregularly twice or thrice branched, terminal ends acute or blunt, short; in context lax and scantily branched, resembling asterophyses. Spores fusiform with bluntly acuminate apices and long-acuminate bases, or sometimes clavate fusiform with rounded apices and irregularly curved above apiculate ends, 14-17 x 4-6 µ, wall hyaline, smooth, 0.25 µ thick, soon collapsing.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on bark of dead branches.

Hymenophorum adnatum, membranaceum, effusum; superficie alba, deinde cremea, alutacea vel interdum roseo-bubalina, areolatae rimosa; margine albo, fibrilloso, adnato. Contextus 60-400 µ crassus, cremeus. Basidia subclavate, 35-56 x 6-9 µ. Gloeocystidia in hymenio cylindrata, apicibus rotundis, non eminentia, 40-60 x 5-6 µ, in contextu obclavata, obovata vel fusiformis saepe distorta, 24-60 x 6-12 µ. Dichophyses hyalini, 14-16 µ, libere inaequaliter ramosi. Sporae fusiformes, apicibus obtuso-acuminatis et basibus longo-acuminatis, aliquot clavato-fusiformes, 14-17 x 4-6 µ, hyalinae, laeves.

Spores, though similar in shape, are of larger size than those of V. investiens. They vary appreciably in both features, most being fusiform with long-acuminate sometimes geniculated basal ends. Gloeocystidia are abundant in the hymenial layer and in shape cylindrical or subclavate with rounded apices; in the context they vary appreciably in size and shape, many being bifid or distorted. Dichophyses of the hymenial layer resemble those of V. protrusa though usually more freely branched and with narrower branchlets; in the context they are more lax with elongated branches, resembling slender asterophyses. Collections from Beilschmiedia tawa possess more lax dichophyses, especially in the context, but in other features agree with the type.

Wellington, Carter's Bush, Carterton, 150 ft., December, 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11838.