Cultures isolated: From P. spicatus, near Minginui, Urewera National Park, Taupo, collected 11 June 1982; from P. radiata. Compartment 1108, Kaingaroa State Forest, Taupo 10 June 1982; from P. menziesii. Compartment 1097, Kaingaroa State Forest, Taupo, 6 May 1982.

Colonies attaining a diameter of 60mm in 12days at 20°C on 2% MEA; appressed to floccose and often very tufted in patches where the perithecia develop; at first hyaline, becoming dark-brown to olive-brown, finally very dark greyish-bown; mycelial tufts where perithecia frequently develop remaining white.
Pesotum synanamorph: Infrequently observed; conidiophores macronematous, synnematous; synnemata with dark-coloured stipes and lighter apices where the conidiogenous cells are borne on penicillate branches. Stipe 560-840 µm in length, 50-200 µm wide at the base, 50-160 µm wide immediately below the conidiogenous zone. Conidiogenous cells polyblastic; terminal to rarely intercalary. Conidia hyaline; one-celled; ellipsoid to ovoid to oblong and slightly tapering to their point of attachment; 2.5-5.0 x 1.0-2.2 µm, produced in slimy heads.
Sporothrix-Hyalodendron synanamorph: Conidiophores mononematous; hyaline; micronematous to semi-macronematous. Conidiogenous cells polyblastic; integrated; sympodial. Sympodulospores produced on well-defined denticles in the Sporothrix form; in holoblastic acropetalous chains in the Hyalodendron form. Conidia hyaline; ellipsoidal to fusiform and tapering to their point of attachment; 4.0-7.5 x 1.0-1.5 µm. Ramoconidia 8.0-16.0 x 1.0-3.0 µm.
Perithecia developing superficially on the mycelium within two weeks following inoculation. Bases globose; black; 125-170 µm in diameter; ornamented with dark hairs or smooth. Necks straight or curved; black in colour; up to 10 mm or more in length; 25-35 µm wide at the base and 10-16µm wide at tip below apex. Annulations frequently forming along the neck due to percurrent proliferations through previously existing ostioles. Ostiolar hyphae hyaline, septate, divergent; 20-35 µm long and 2.0-2.5 µm wide at base. Ascospores hyaline: one-celled; chiefly allantoid to occasionally orange-section-shaped in side view, oval in plan view and spherical in end view; 4.0-5.0 x 1.0-1.5 µm; sheath absent; emerging from the ostiole and forming a spore ball at the tip.

Habitat: In bark beetle galleries in the inner bark or outer sapwood of Podocarpus sp., Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. ex Mirb., Pinus radiata, and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco.

Coloniae in agaro cum extracto malti (2%) adpressae floccosae, plerumque prope perithecia evolventia caespitosae; post 12 dies fuscae, caespes myceliales albi remanentes. Synanamorpha prima similis Pesoto raro visa; stipite 560-840 µm longo, 50-200 µm lato basi, 50-160 µm lato infra zonam conidiogenam; conidiis hyalinis, sympodialibus ellipsoideis vel ovoideis vel oblongis, 2.5-5.0 x 1.0-2.2 µm. Synanamorpha altera, aut similis. Sporotrichi in denticulis conspicuis sympodulo sporas aut similis Hyalodendro in catenis acropetis conidia holoblastica efferens; conidiis hyalinis ellipsoideis vel fusiformibus 4.0-7.5 x 1.0-1.5 µm; ramoconidiis 8.0-16.0 x 1.0-3.0 µm.Perithecia basibus globosis nigris, aut laevibus aut pilis fuscis ornatis, 125-170 µm diametro; collis ad 10mm vel plus longis, 25-35 µm latis basi, 10-16 µm proxime infra apicem, saepe annulatis; hyphis ostiolaribus hyalinis, septatis, divergentibus, 20-35 µm longis, 2.0-2.5 µm latis basi. Ascosporae hyalinae, aseptatae, plerumque allantoideae sed raro a letere conspectae cum figura segmenti pomi citri, superne ovales, ab extreme conspectae circulares; 4.0-5.0 x 1.0-1.5 µm; vagina nulla.
Typus: R 137 (a) sejunctus ex Podocarpus sp. ex sylva Minginuii, Nova Zelandia. J. Reid legit 11 June 1982, WIN.

The only Ceratocystis sp., with which C. novae-zelandiae could be confused is Ceratocystis nothofagi Butin, in Butin & Aquilar (1984). Despite similarities, e.g., the extremely long perithecial necks in both species, and formation of tufts of white mycelium, there are significant differences between the species. Asocarps of C. novae-zelandiae readily form in vitro, while those of C. nothofagi only form on autoclaved wood chips; the necks of C. novae-zelandiae are consistently long when grown in vitro while those of C. nothofagi are considerably shorter in vitro than in the natural habitat; C. nothofagi has very prominent orange-section-shaped ascospores while those of C. novae-zelandiae are more allantoid in shape; C. novae-zelandiae produces a Pesotum state in addition to the Sporothrix-like to Hyalodendron-like anamorph while C. nothofagi has only a Sporothrix anamorphic state and, finally, C. novae-zelandiae grows much faster than C. nothofagi.
The presence of protoperithecia, as has been mentioned for other species isolated in this study, indicates the probability of heterothallism in this species.
The Pesotum state rarely occurs in vitro; in fact it can easily be overlooked. This phenomenon has been noticed previously in Ceratocystis perfecta Davids., where De Hoog (1974) observed a synnematous state while Davidson (1958) and Upadhyay (1981) did not.
C. novae-zelandiae caused a brownish to black staining in all wood samples tested.

Holotype: New Zealand. Dried culture R 137(a) isolated from Podocarpus sp., near Minginui, Urewera National Park, Taupo, J. Reid, 11 June 1982, WIN.