Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Auckland. Claudelands Reserve, Hamilton, 200ft, November, 1946, G.H.C. Fuchsia excorticata L.f. Westland. Waiho, 600ft, November, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Auckland. Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J.M. Dingley. Nothopanax colensoi (Hook. f.) Seem. Taranaki. Mt. Egmont, 2,500ft, March, 1951, J.M. Dingley. Schefflera digitata Forst. Taranaki. Dawson Falls, Mt. Egmont, 2,300ft, January, 1953, J. M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 14245. Westland. Waiho, 600ft, November, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Weinmannia racemosa L.f. Westland. Lake Mapouriki, November, 1946. J.M. Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, adnate, effused forming irregular areas 5-15 x 1-5 cm; surface at first white, becoming pallid ochre, then fulvous, velutinate, not creviced; margin thinning out, arachnoid, concolorous, adnate. Context cream, to 250 µ thick (excluding fascicles), basal layer composed of a few repent hyphae, intermediate layer well developed, of ascending hyphae somewhat loosely arranged, more freely branched beneath the hymenium; generative hyphae 3-6 µ diameter, walls 0.5 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 30 µ deep, a loose palisade of basidia and parapbyses interrupted by the fascicles. Basidia cylindrical with bases abruptly narrowed, 25-35 x 6-8 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, 6-8 µ long. Paraphyses clavate, of the same diameter but shorter than the basidia. Gloeocystidia, arising from the base of the hymenial layer when projecting, and in the context, cylindrical, rnoniliform, 60-110 x 5-6 µ, scanty, staining blue. Fascicles arising from the basal layer and projecting for the greater part of their length, 5-20 per mm, subulate, 200-500 µ long, 30-100 µ diameter, formed from 10-100 hyphae compactly arranged, each tapering, aseptate, walls 1 µ thick, naked or with occasional crystals. Spores commonly broadly elliptical or obovate, 10-12 x 5-7 µ, or less frequently subglobose or globose, when 7-9 µ diameter, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.5 µ thick, staining deeply, copious.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused usually on decorticated rotting wood, rarely on bark.

Hymenophorum annuum, membranaceum, aduatum, effusum; superficie primo alba deinde fulva, velutina, non rimosa. Contextus cremeus, ad 250 µ, crassus. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 3-6 µ diam., hyalinae, septatae, nodulosae. Basidia cylindricalia, basi attenuata, 25-35 x 6-8 µ. Gloeocystidia cylindricalia, moniliformia, 60-110 x 5-6 µ. Fasciculati hypharum generatoriarum ex strato infimo exorti, subulati, 200-500 x 30-100 µ. Sporae late ellipticae vel obovatae, 10-12 x 5-7 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis.

Fascicles may be scattered or so crowded that the surface appears strigose. They may be slender and composed of a few hyphae, or more often consist of numerous hyphae compacted into dense tufts. Hyphae of which they are constructed are modified generative hyphae. each tapering from base to apex, aseptate save near the base, and with walls thickened to 1 µ.
Gloeocystidia may be scanty or relatively abundant. Commonly moniliform, sometimes strikingly so, they arise from hyphae of the intermediate layer and stain deeply with aniline blue. Tissues of the hymenial layer collapse as soon as spores are shed, consequently its structure can be ascertained only by examination of sections taken from the periphery of actively growing specimens. Spores are copiously produced so that in sections fascicles and the hymenial surface are seen to be coated with them. They vary appreciably in shape and size and walls stain deeply with aniline blue. Basidia are cylindrical with abruptly attenuated bases. The species favours decorticated much decayed branches lying upon the forest floor in moist. localities.