on Rhagadolobium bakerianum Auckland ' Waitakere Ra., Sharp's Bush, LM.D. 30/VIII/69 (PDD 28170); Huia, P. J. Brook, 5/1X/69 (PDD 28419); Waiatarua, J.M.D. 181111/70 (PDD 28420); Coromandel, Whitianga Rd, Kauri Grove, J.M.D. 18/III/70(PDD 28458).

Mycelium composed of repent hypha, brown with thickened echinulate walls, septate, sparsely branched, 1-3 um diam. ramifying through tissues of ascomata of Rhagadolobium often extending as a superficial layer on fern frond. Conidiophores in dense clusters formed singly at right angles from basal mycelium, 400-800 um long, base rarely swollen, 2-2.5 u diam. rarely branched, sparsely septate, at first thin walled, olivaceous then becoming brown and with roughened walls. Conidia produced singly at tip as blown-out ends, continuously, in acropetal succession leaving a narrow geniculate scar. Conidia one to three septate, elliptical or pyriform, not constricted at septa, olivaceous or fuscous_ finely echinulate, basal end tapering to a broad truncate basal scar 6-13.5 X 3-4 um.

On ascomata of Rhagadolobium bakerianum

Mycelium hyphis compositum, sparsim ramosis, septatis brunneis; paretibus inspissatia 1-3um diam, conidiophora in fasciculis densis, singulatim producta angulo recto e mycelio basali, 2-2.5um densa, 400-800um longa, sparsim septata, raro ramosa, olivacea, parietibus scabris apud apicem cicatricibus angustis et geniculatis. Conidia singulatim apud apicern producta in serie acropeta. Conidia unum interdurn tria, septata elliptica vel pyriformia, non apud septa constricta, olivacea, subtiliter echinulata 6-13.5 x 3-4um

In a number of collections of R. bakerianum ascomata are completely smothered with dark brown floccose mycelium. Microscopic examination has shown that this mycelium belongs to a hyphomycete parasitising the ascomata. Hohnel (1909) described a Cladosporium-like hyphomycete as a conidial form of Discodothis filicum v. Hohnel. Muller and v. Arx: (1962) included D. filicum in Rhagadolobium; they commented on and illustrated a Cladosporium sp. attacking the ascomata as a hyperparasite. New Zealand material of infected ascomata of Rhagadolobium bakerianum was forwarded to Mr F. C. Deighton at the Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew. He suggested that the New Zealand hyperparasite was probably the same as the fungus illustrated by v. Arx in Muller and Arx, (1962) but that it could not be classified under Cladosporium. Dr M. B. Ellis at the Institute suggested that it best be classified under Veronaea Cifferri & Montemartini. Originally this =us was erected to include a Cladosporium- like fungus which grew on olive waste in Italy. Papendorf (1969) suggested that the genus was synonymous with. Sympodina Subramanian & Lodha and described a new species in Veronaea, V. simplex, from soil. The species, present in New Zealand on Rhagadolobium, is similar to the three species described in Veronaea but differs in that conidiophores are simple and rarely branched and conidia are more sparsely produced; they may be one- or three- septate; therefore this New Zealand species is described as new.

On Rhagadolobium bakerianum; Auckland, Waitakere Ra., Sharp's Bush, J.M.D. 30/viii/69 (PDD 28170).