Type and specimen examined: New Zealand: Mt. Tongariro, 2500 ft., Auckland District. Mar. 1952. Collected by G. H. Cunningham. (NZPD).

Receptacles scattered, waxy, brittle, cupulate, 0,5-0,75 mm. in diameter, attached by a narrow base; exterior white, tomentum composed of tortuous aseptate thick-walled branched hyphae, 5 µ in diameter, with lumen almost obliterated, coated with coarse deciduous crystals, terminating in long, gradually tapering spirally coiled naked apices; margins inturned, lacerate when old; hymenial surface concave, buff or honey-colored; context white, to 50 µ thick, to 500 µ at the base, of parallel radiately arranged hyphae; generative hyphae to 3,5 µ in diameter, wall 0,25 µ thick, sparsely branched, septate; hymenial layer to 40 µ deep, paraphyses subclavate ; basidia subclavate, 16-20 x 5-6 µ, 4-sterigmate; spores fusiform-elliptical, apex rounded, base pointed and apiculate, 7-8 x 3-3,5 µ, smooth, hyaline.

Habitat: On Phyllocladus trichomanoides.

The above description was taken from Cunningham (1953). The writer would add that the basidia have basal clamps and some context hyphae are clamped. The surface hairs reach 150 µ long with the outer third of the whiplash type described above.

Pilei annual; scattered, waxy, brittle, copulate, 0.5-0.75 mm. diameter, attached by a narrow base; exterior white, tomentum composed of tortuous aseptate thick-walled branched hyphae, 5 µ diameter, with lumen almost obliterated, coated with coarse deciduous crystals, terminating in long, gradually tapering spirally coiled naked apices; margins inturned, lacerate when old; hymenial surface concave, buff or honey-coloured. Context white, to 50 µ thick, to 300 µ at the base, of parallel radiately arranged hyphae; generative hyphae to 3.5 µ diameter, wall 0.25 µ thick, sparsely branched, septate. Hymenial layer to 40 µ deep, paraphyses subclavate. Basidia subclavate, 16-20 x 5-6 µ, 4-spored. Spores fusiform-elliptical, apex rounded, base pointed and apiculate, 7-8 x 3-3.5 µ, smooth, hyaline.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Scattered on bark of dead twigs.

Pilei sparsi, cerosi, cupul ati, 0.5-0.75 mm. diam.; exteriore parte alba, tomento hyphis tortuosis, aseptatis, ralnosis, ad 5 µ diam., parietibus crassis, crystallis crassus deciduis illinatis, lumine paente obliterato, apicibus nudis in spiris longis fastigatis; margine inflecto, lacerato in maturitate. Contextus albus, ad 50 µ crassus, hyphis ad 3.5 µ diam., in radiis ordinatis, pariete 0.25 µ crasso. Paraphyses subclavati. Sporae fusiformes, ellipticae, apice rotundo, basi acuta et apiculata, 7-8 x 3-3.5 µ, leves, hyalinae.

In general appearance C. tongariro and C. pseudopanax resemble one another, but may be separated by the different spores and tomentum. Hairs of C. tongariro are branched, thick-walled, long-acuminate and terminate in whip-like coiled tendrils. The basal part is coated with coarse crystals, the apical naked. Both also show a general resemblance to C. villosa, differing mainly in the markedly distinct tomentum and different spores.

Phyllocladus trichomanoides Don. Auckland. Mt. Tongariro, 2,500 feet; March, 1952; G.H.C.; type collection.