Acacia dealbata Link. Auckland: Campbell's Bay, December, 1953, E.E. Chamberlain. Beilsehmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Auckland: Lake Rotoehu, 1,300ft, June, 1951, J.M. Dingley. Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Huia, November, 1952, J.M. Dingley. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Auckland: Kawhia Harbour, coast, January 1953, J. D. Atkinson, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11845; Huia, 200ft, January, 1954; E.E. Chamberlain. Melicytus ramiflorus Forst. Otago: Lake Alabaster, December, 1949, J.M. Dingley. Meryta sinclairii (Hook. f.) Seem. Auckland: Campbell's Bay, January, 1954, E.E. Chamberlain. Nothopanax arboreum (Forst. f.) Seem. Auckland: Lake Okataina, 1,500ft, September, 1954. G.H.C. Quintinia serrata A. Cunn. Westland: Pukekura, November, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Schefjlera digitata Forst. Auckland: Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, March, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Tecoma sp. Auckland: Mt. Albert, June, 1953, E.E. Chamberlain.

Hymenophore perennial, membranous, adnate, effused forming irregular areas 6-10 x 3-4 cm; surface white or pallid cream, drying white or sometimes tinted ochre, even, at length deeply laterally creviced and lifting at the edges; margin abruptly thinning out, adnate, concolorous, delicately fibrillose. Context white, to 600 µ thick, basal layer a delicate band of parallel gelatinized hyphae; intermediate layer of intertwined hyphae forming many scattered lacunae each containing one cystidium; generative by phae 3-3.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, naked, branched, septate, without clamp connexions, staining deeply. Hymenial layer to 40 µ deep, a scanty palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidia. Basidia subclavate, not projecting, 25-30 x 7-8 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses scanty, subclavate, smaller than the basidia. Cystidia abundant, developing in lacunae in the context and hymenium, projecting to 10 µ, fusiform, 24-45 x 10-16 µ, coarsely and irregularly crystal coated, crystals disappearing from basal cystidia. Spores ovate or oval, sometimes with one side flattened, apiculate, 6-8.5 x 5-6 µ, walls smooth. hyaline, 0.5 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on bark or decorticated dead wood.

Hymenophorum perenne, stratosum, membranaceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie alba vel pallide cremea, aequa, alte rimosa. Hyphae contextas afibulatae, 3-3.5 µ diam., nudae. Basidia subclavata, 25-30 x 7-8 µ, 4 sporis. Cystidia fusiformia, 24-45 x 10-16 µ, crystallis crassis tecta. Sporae ovatae vel ovales, 6-8.5 x 5-6 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Sections show the context to be composed of an irregular honeycomb of woven context hyphae enclosing abundant lacunae, each containing a solitary cystidium carried on a brief pedicel. In thick specimens crystals tend to disappear from lower cystidia, leaving the small naked pedicels attached to the bases of the lacunae.

Auckland: Kawhia Harbour, coast, January 1953, J. D. Atkinson, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11845

Peniophora sacrata was described by Cunningham (1955) as an endemic species occurring as a saprophyte on dead wood. He recorded it on ten host species, nine of which are endemic to New Zealand. Gilmour and Lancaster (1955) recorded a fungus, which they referred to as "G.B." fungus disease causing a root and stem canker of exotic pines in the North Auckland area: they listed it as attacking three species of Pinus, three endemic host trees, and the common weed species, gorse and blackberry. Gilmour (1959b) showed that this fungus previously referred to as the "G.B." fungus was identical with Peniophora sacrata, and he noted its importance in exotic plantations in scattered areas throughout New Zealand.