Hymenophore terrestrial, annual, pileate, carbonous, brittle when dry. Pilei centrally stipitate, orbicular, 2-3 cm diameter; pileus surface black, even, polished; margin inturned, thin, even, concolorous; hymenial surface black, rough with spines. Stem equal, flattened, 2-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 cm, glabrous, black. Spines subulate, terete, crowded, 1-3 x 0.1-0.15 mm, black, fragile. Context 0.2-0.5 mm thick, black, shining, composed of parallel hyphae rather loosely arranged embedding masses of black gelatinous granules; generative hyphae 4-8 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, tinted brown, branched freely, septate, sometimes inflated between septa, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 50 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia clavate, 36-45 x 8-12 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, stout, to 8 µ long. Paraphyses clavate, 16-22 x 4-6 µ. Spores globose or broadly elliptical, 7-9 µ diameter, or 8-10 x 7-9 µ, walls coarsely irregularly tuberculate, sinuate, pallid ferruginous, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Solitary in humus under Dacrydium cupressinum.

Hymenophorum terrestre, carbonaceum, fragile. Pilei stirpibus mediis, orbiculati, 2-3 cm diam., superficies nigra, nitida. Stirpes aequae, planae, 2-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 cm. Spinae subulatae, teretes, 1-3 mm longae. Contextus niger, brunnearum hypharum generatoriarum 5-8 µ diam., nodulosarum. Basidia clavata, 36-45 x 8-12 µ, 2-4-sporis globosis vel late ellipticis, 8-10 x 7-9 µ, parietibus crasse inaequaliter tuberculatis, sinuatis, pallide ferrugineis.

Plants appear as if constructed from charcoal, being carbonous and fragile. Colour is derived from masses of black mucilage granules embedded among hyphae of the tissues, hyphae being lightly tinted brown. Spores are either globose or broadly elliptical, with brown walls which are coarsely irregularly tuberculate and sinuate. In colour and general appearance the species resembles Phellodon niger (Fr.) Karst.; it differs mainly in the spore characters, those of P. niger resembling spores of P. sinclairii. Plants possess a faint odour of aniseed, scarcely noticeable save when the herbarium package is first opened.

Otago: Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, February 1954, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17707.