Under N. menziesii, Nelson; Karamea, Umere, 6.1.1968; 8.1.1968 (HOLOTYPE, PDD 26515): 15.i.l968; R. F. R. McN.

Pileus convex to plano-convex, 3-7 cm diam., dry, finely felted, occasionally finely squamulose and then with a sooty appearance, sepia, chocolate brown, or dark brown; cuticle a trichodermium, composed of erect, branched, septate hyphae 7-14 µm diam., with brownish contents, becoming disorganised with age, terminal cells unspecialised; margins entire, involute, often extending beyond pores, sterile. Hymenophore tubulose, tubes to 10 mm long, slightly to deeply excavated around apex of stipe, occasionally descending stipe for a short distance as a raised reticulum, sordid yellow; pores concolorous with tubes or tinted reddish brown when overmature, angular, 0.5-1 mm diam., slowly staining faint blue where damaged. Stipe 3-5 cm long, slightly expanded basally, 6-10 mm diam., solid, dry, finely scabrous by aggregation of caulocystidia. Background concolorous with or slightly paler than pileus, scabrosities darker brown; flesh brownish white; annulus absent. Spores in print olive-brown; melleous, elliptic-subfusiform to elliptic-oblong, slight suprahilar depression often present, 9.4-13 x 3.2-4.5 µm, occasionally to 18 X 5^111 but then misshapen, smooth. Hymenium composed of basidia and cystidia; basidia hyaline, clavate, 27-36 x 7.5-10.5 µm, 4-spored; cystidia sparse, scattered, hyaline, thin-walled, sub-cylindrical to narrowly ventricose-rostrate, 40-57 x 7.5-10 µm. Hymenophoral trama bilateral, of the Phylloporus subtype; clamp connections absent. Context of pileus white to pallid yellowish white, faintly bluing on prolonged exposure to air. Taste mild. Chemical characters: KOH on pileus darkening to deep reddish brown; on context-pallid salmon: NH₄OH on pileus-dark reddish brown with red flush; on context- no reaction.

Solitary under Nothofagus

Pileus convexus ad plano-convexum, 3-7 cm diam, siccus, subtiliter coactus, atrobrunneus. Tubi subexcavati vel alte excavati, sordide flavi; pori concolores, angulares, 0.5-1 mm diam., subcaerulescentes ubi laesi. Stipes 3-5 cm longus, ad basim paulo latior, 6-10mm diam., subtiliter scaber, atrobrunneus. Sporae elliptico-subfusiformes ad elliptico-oblongas, 9.4-13 x 3.2-4.5µm, leves.

Xerocomus scabripes resembles X. squamulosus McNabb in general appearance, but may be distinguished by the smaller pores, dark brown scabrous stipe, and narrower spores. It readily fits within sect. Xerocomus as defined by Singer (1962) and brings the number of endemic species to eight (McNabb, 1968).

Typus sub Nothofago menziesii. Nelson: Karamea, Umere, 8.i.1968, R. F. R. McNabb, PDD 26515.