SPECIMENS EXAMINED: WAIKATO: Taupiri Mt., 900 ft, on Dysoxylum spectabile (Forst. f.) Hook. f., Dingley, 27 Nov. 1954 (PDD 45341); Hamilton, Claudelands Bush, on unknown host, White (F 484), 26.ii.1969 (PDD 28412). BAY OF PLENTY: Lake Rotoehu, 1000 ft, on Dacrydium cupressinum, Dingley, 21 Jun. 1951 (PDD 45399). TAUPO: Rotorua, Lake Okataina, 1500 ft, on trunk of dead fallen Bedschmiedia tawa, Cunningham, 26 Jun. 1952 (PDD 45398). WELLINGTON: Weraroa, Williams Bush, on Laurelia novae-zelandiae A. Cunn., Rawlings, Jun. 1947 (PDD 45339); Weraroa, "bush", on dead wood, Cunningham & Neill, no date given, (PDD 45339); Weraroa, "bush", on dead wood, Cunningham & Neill, no date given, (PDD 2811); Weraroa, on decorticated wood, Cunninghain & Neill, 1 May 1923 (PDD 45439), Weraroa, on dead wood, Atkinson, July 1919 (PDD 47413).

Stromata arising from decorticated wood, gregarious to solitary and scattered; unbranched or rarely with one branch, (1.0-)1.5-3.0(-6.0) cm long; tip at first conidiogenous. Fertile portion terminal; lanceolate to cylindric, rarely spathulate with broadest point median to basal, 3-5(-7) mm, elliptic to circular in section, less frequently flattened. Stipe not sharply delimited from the fertile portion, 3-20 mm x 1-2 mm, wrinkled, glabrous to velutinous with short brown hyphae. Surface of stroma at first brown, later black with scant remains of brown scales, slightly tuberculate to wrinkled with shallow creases between perithecial elevations; perithecia completely immersed, 300-500 µm diam.; each opening through a minute, mammiform papilla. Internal tissue of stroma white to very pale orange, orange intensifying somewhat in 3% KOH, solid. Asci 110-140 µm total length x 6-7(-8) µm, sporiferous portion (70-)80-105 µm, cylindrical; apical ring J +, wedge-shaped, 2.0-2.5 µm wide x 2-3 µm high; 8-spored, ascospores uniseriate with overlapping ends. Ascospores (10.0-)11.5-14.0(-16.5) x (4.0-)5.06.5 (-8.5) µm, inequilateral with one side flat and the other side curved, elliptic in top view; brown, transparent; slit full length, parallel to long axis of spore. Conidial stromata in vivo palmately branched above, ultimate branches white from conidial formation. Conidiogenous cells forming a compact palisade, c. 25 µm long x 3 µm wide, pale brown, smooth; conidiogenous loci terminal, with 1 µm wide refractive, frill-like scars remaining after conidial dehiscence. Conidia (8.0-)10.0-12.5 x (1.5-) 1.7-2.3(-3.0) µm, narrowly ellipsoidal to nearly cylindrical, colourless, smooth; each with a flat, 1 µm wide, refractive, frill-like basal abscission scar.

NORTH ISLAND: Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Wellington.

HABITAT: On decaying wood of gymnosperms (Podocarpaceae: Dacrydium) and dicotyledonous trees.

A typo differt in ascosporis (10.0-)11.5-14.0(-16.5) x (4.0-)5.0-6.5 (-8.5) µm. Holotypus: PDD 45397.

Xylaria luteostromata was described from Philippine specimens and was considered by Lloyd to be much like X. castorea except for the pale yellow stroma (Lloyd 1919). We have examined type material [Philippines, A.D.E. Elmer no. 7217, Jan., 1906 (K)] and authentic material [Philippines, on wood, E.D. Merrill no. 10549, Lloyd no. 10406 (BPI); Philippines, on wood, Baker exsicc. no. 300, Lloyd no. 12899 (BPI)] and agree that it is probably related to X. castorea. Our new variety macrospora differs from the typical variety primarily in its larger ascospores.

HOLOTYPE: Taupo: Lake Okataina, 1500 ft, on decorticated wood of Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb., Dingley, 20 Jun. 1951 (PDD 45397).