Podocarpus hallii Kirk. Auckland. Mt. Tongariro, 2,500 feet; March, 1952; G.H.C. Titirangi; February, 1951; J. M. Dingley. Wellington. Mt. Hector; Tararua Ranges, 2,700 feet; January, 1931; E.E. Chamberlain. Podocarpus totara Don. Auckland. Oratia, Waitakere Ranges, 600 feet; January, 1932; M. Hodgkins. Swanson; November, 1945; J.M. Dingley. Titirangi; February, 1951; J.M. Dingley. Canterbury. Peel Forest, 1,800 feet; January, 1928; G.H.C.; type collection. Otago. Lower Pike River, Hollyford Valley; January, 1950; J.M. Dingley.

Pilei annual, scattered, membranous, tough, 2-3 mm. long, 1-3 mm. broad, pendulous when attached by a narrow vertex, or conical-cupulate when seated upon a somewhat broad base; exterior surface fawn or tan, darker peripherally, finely radiate-striate, or wrinkled, naked; margin acute, inturned or plane, entire or slightly lacerate; hymenial surface even, concave, bay-brown. Context white (brown in some old specimens), 150-250 µ thick, to 500 µ at the base, of radiately arranged sclerotioid compact hyphae; generative hyphae to 5 µ diameter, wall 1 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, tortuous. Hymenial layer to 70 µ deep, paraphyses subclavate. Basidia clavate, 40-56 x 7-9 µ, 2-4-spored. Spores obovate or elliptical, apiculate, 8-9.5 x 5-6 µ, smooth, hyaline.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Scattered on bark of living and dead branches.

Pilei sparsi, membranacei, penduli et vertice angusto adjuncti vel conice cupulati ubi in basi lata sedent, 2-3 mm, longi, 1-3 mm, lati; exteriore parte hinnulea vel alutacea, in radiis tenuiter striata, nuda; margine acuto, inflecto vel plano, toto vel paulo lacerato. Contextus albus, 150-250 µ, crassus, hyphis sclerotioidibus ad 5 µ diam. in radiis ordinatis, pariete 1 µ crasso. Paraphyses sub-clavati. Sporae obovatae vel ellipticae, apiculatae, 8-9.5 x 5-6 µ, leves, hyalinae.

The species is common on two endemic species of Podocarpus, called totara by the Maori, hence its specific name. It is often present on bark of living trunks or branches, though as frequent on dead branches. Close to C. hebe, it may be separated by the usually much larger size of pilei, thicker context with different hyphae, and differently shaped shorter spores. In Kew herbarium is filed one collection, ex totara bark, Buller Valley, Westland, T. Kirk, No. 236. It was placed by Cooke under the cover of C. cupulaeformis Berk. & Rav., a species which differs in possessing markedly angular, distorted, and irregular spores.