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.

Type: Caulicolous Fungi; Description: Basidiomata perennial, effused, forming irregular patches 60–100 × 30–40 mm. Pore surface white or pallid cream, even, later deeply creviced, margin abruptly thinning out, concolorous. Context white, up to 600 μm thick. Hyphal system dimitic. Metuloids abundant, gloeocystidia present. Cystidia encrusted, 30–45 × 7–10 μm, hyaline. Basidiospores subglobose to ellipsoid, 6–9 × 6–7 μm, echinulate, amyloid.

Distribution: Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Taupo, Rangitikei, Wanganui, Wellington, Wairarapa, Buller, Westland, Marlborough, Dunedin.; 1st Record: Cunningham (1955).

Significance: Causes root rot and stem canker that results in group mortality over restricted areas. It is often already established in small areas of indigenous scrub vegetation (mainly Leptospermum scoparium) present before exotic trees are planted. Infection of planted trees occurs when a root or part of the stem comes in contact with infected roots or twigs of the scrub plants. Leptospermum scoparium, Pteridium esculentum, and Rubus fruticosus often act in this way as transmission agents. As the disease progresses a girdling canker develops at the root collar or on the stem, and copious resin bleeding occurs. Infected trees die slowly over a period of 3–4 years and roughly circular patches of dead vegetation are a distinctive feature of the disease. In most parts of New Zealand, incidence of the disease is low and losses are insignificant. In three Northland forests and one forest in Marlborough where the fungus is widespread, 10–20% mortality was reported within 10 years of establishment (Dick 1983).; Host(s): Parasitic attack: Brachyglottis repanda, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Coprosma grandifolia, Cupressus macrocarpa, Cytisus scoparius, Dendrobenthamia capitata, Eucalyptus botryoides, E. ovata, E. saligna, Hakea sericea, Hebe sp., Leptospermum scoparium, Macropiper excelsum, Pinus caribaea, P. contorta, P. elliottii, P. muricata, P. nigra subsp. laricio, P. palustris, P. patula, P. pinaster, P. radiata, P. taeda, Podocarpus totara, Pomaderris kumeraho, P. phylicifolia, Prumnopitys ferruginea, Prunus armeniaca, P. avium, P. cerasifera, P. persica, Pseudopanax arboreus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pyrus communis, Rosa rubiginosa, Thuja plicata, Ulex europaeus. Non-parasitic attack: Acacia dealbata, Ageratina adenophora, Beilschmiedia tawa, Fuchsia excorticata, Kunzea ericoides, Leucopogon fasciculatus, Malus ×domestica, Melicytus ramiflorus, Meryta sinclairii, Muehlenbeckia australis, Passiflora tetrandra, Pteridium esculentum, Quintinia serrata, Ripogonum scandens, Rubus australis, R. fruticosus agg., Schefflera digitata, Tecomaria capensis, Weinmannia racemosa.

Hyphae hyaline, thin-walled, 2-3.5 µm wide, septa without clamps. Gloeocystidia present but sometimes rare, acute, 20-40 x 4-6 µm, some weakly sulphobenzaldehyde-positive. Cystidia hyaline, thin- to slightly thick-walled, encrusted and then 30-45(-50) x 7-10(-15) µm, dextrinoid; cystidia fusiform and up to 6.5 µm wide without crystals. Basidia hyaline, thin-walled, clavate to urniform, 25-35 x 6.5-8 µm, (basal swelling up to 9 µm wide), with four sterigmata up to 8 µm long. Spores hyaline, thin-walled, subglobose to ellipsoid, often collapsed 7.5-9.5 x (5.3-)6-7.5 µm, echinulate, amyloid, appearing more or less smooth in KOH.

This description differs from that by Cunningham (1955, 1963) in reporting the presence of gloeocystidia and describing the basidiospores as amyloid and echinulate. The weakly sulphobenzaldehyde-positive reaction of gloeocystidia in the type specimen need not be characteristic of the species. The reaction to sulphobenzaldehyde is often indistinct in herbarium material as it depends on both age and method of preservation. It should be tested on fresh material.
The species is closely related to Gloeocystidiellum convolvens (Karsten) Donk, which also has encrusted cystidia, gloeocystidia, simple-septate hyphae and echinulate, amyloid spores. Gloeocystidiellum sacratum differs in the smooth hymenophore (only an occasional wart present), the scarce and small gloeocystidia, and larger basidia and basidiospores. For these reasons a new combination in Gloeocystidiellum Donk is proposed. The alternative would be a new genus for both species.
Burdsall (1985) placed the species in Amylostereum Boidin, because of "the hyaline, simple-septate hyphae, subulate reddish-brown pseudocystidia and amyloid spores with a granulose surface". This is rather surprising as all species of Amylostereum so far described have smooth, cylindrical basidiospores and clamps at all septa; most of them also possess thick-walled, brown basal hyphae. Gloeocystidiellum sacratum has hyaline cystidia, which become reddish brown in Melzer's reagent. Moreover the presence of gloeocystidia, noted by Taylor (1969), is not a typical character of Amylostereum. Finally, cultures of G. sacratum (CBS 796.86) display occasional septa with 1-3 clamps, a character known in Gloeocystidiellum (Boidin 1966), but not in Amylostereum.

Holotype: on Leptospermum scoparium J.R. & G. Forst., New Zealand, Waikato, Kawhia Harbour, coast, coll. J.D. Atkinson, Jan. 1953 (PDD 11845).

Specimen examined. NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND: Huia, 30 m, Kawhia Harbour, coast, on stump of Leptospermum scoparium J.R. & G. Forst., 18 Jan. 1953, J.D.Atkinson (PDD 11845, HOLOTYPE).

Basidiomata resupinate, effuse, subceraceous or ceraceous. Hymenial surface pale pink, smooth, cracked. Dimitic. Generative hyphae simple-septate. Subiculum thin, with compact texture; hyphae colorless, usually glued together, 2-3 µm diam, thin- or slightly thick-walled. Subhymenium distinctly thickening, with compact texture. Skeletal hyphae occasionally branched, colorless, 3-4 µm diam, thick-walled, nonamyloid, nondextrinoid. Lamprocystidia numerous, overlapping in context, colorless, subulate, 30-50 x 7-12 µm (with encrustation), with 0.5-1.5 µm thick walls, dextrinoid and cyanophilous. Gloeocystidia rare, cylindrical, flexuous, colorless, 25-45 x 3.5-6.5 µm, thin-walled. Basidia utriform, 35-40 x 6.5-8.5 µm, slightly thick-walled, four-sterigmate. Basidiospores broadly ellipsoid, adaxially slightly concave, verrucose (smooth in KOH), slightly thick-walled, 8.5-10.5 x 5.7-7 µm (in KOH), amyloid.

Geographic and host distribution. Dextrinocystidium sacratum is known from Australia and New Zealand. Collections of this species have been made from several families including deciduous and coniferous trees (Cunningham, 1963).

This description is based on the holotype; see also Cunningham (1963) and Stalpers and Buchanan (1991).
This species has been transferred by Taylor (1981) to Phanerochaete Karst., by Burdsall (1985) to Amylostereum Boid., and was placed by Stalpers and Buchanan (1991) in Gloeocystidiellum. However, no species of Phanerochaete has amyloid basidiospores. Amylostereum is a clamped genus, which is also characterized by apically encrusted brownish cystidia and smooth basidiospores. Dextrinocystidium is distinguished from Gloeocystidiellum s. s. in having utriform basidia and dextrinoid and cyanophilous lamprocystidia. Skeletals in D. sacratum have not been reported before, but they are not difficult to find in sections of basidiomata. Skeletal hyphae are nondextrinoid and acyanophilous and occasionally branched; therefore, they are not the basal part of lamprocystidia. Gloeocystidia are rarely present in the holotype (PDD 11845) of this species, and were described as weakly sulphoaldehyde-positive by Stalpers and Buchanan (1991). This positive reaction could not be confirmed by me, based on the studies of the holotype. However, this reaction can be accurately tested based on fresh specimen. Stalpers and Buchanan (1991) have mentioned that cultures of D. sacratum display occasional septa with one to three clamps. Taylor (1969) proved that root canker of apple trees in New Zealand is caused by this species.