Beilschmiedia tarairi (A.Cunn.) Benth. & Hook.f. Auckland. Awhitu Peninsula, 350 feet, April 1946, G.H.C., type collection; Near Karekare, Waitakere Ranges, Sept. 1946, Joan Dingley. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland. Waipoua Kauri Forest, 1946, G.B.Rawlings. Larix europaeus L. Otago. Dunedin, Feb. 1939, J.R.J.Moore. Podocarpus dacrydioides A.Rich. Auckland. Flat hush, Papatoetoe, Aug. 1947, Joan Dingley.

Hymenophore perennial, dimidiate, imbricate, soft but firm, light. Pileus narrowly applanate, effused-reflexed, often resupinate, with occasional orbicular outlying islands, 6-20 cm. x 2-5 cm. x 0.5-2 cm.; surface even or obscurely concentrically zoned, dull, finely pubescent or as often glabrous, bay-brown, umber, sometimes violaceous, almost black in old specimens, cuticle wanting; margin bluntly rounded, even, entire, concolorous; hymenial surface slightly glancing, even, fawn, bay-brown, rose-pink or violaceous when fresh, becoming tobacco-brown, sterile border 1-5 mm. wide, lighter in colour, dissepiments not toothed. Context fawn, bay-brown or chestnut-brown, 1-3 mm. thick, of loosely woven hyphae; skeletal hyphae 4-4.5 µ thick. lumen 2 µ, light fuscous, tapering, branched and undulate near ends, aseptate, staining; generative hyphae hyaline, thick, delicate walled, septate, branched. Pores stratose, round, 1-5 mm. deep in each layer, bay-brown, chestnut-brown or violaceous in section, 100-150 µ diameter, commonly 50µ, or 7-9 per mm.; dissepiments 50-100 µ thick, commonly 50 µ, equal or tapering slightly, apex finely velutinate. solitary or imbricate on hark or decorticated wood of fallen trunks, associated with a white rot. Basidia clavate, 8-10 x 3.5-4 µ, soon collapsing. Spores oblong with rounded ends, 3.5-5 x 2-3 µ, smooth, yellow-brown, abundant.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Growing solitary or imbricate on bark or decorticated wood of fallen trunks, associated with a white rot.

Hymenophorum solum vel imbricatutn, dimidiatum, molle, firmum, leve. Pileus anguste applanatus, effuso-reflexus, saepe resupinatus, 6-20 cm. x 2-5 cm. x 0.5-2 cm., superficies aequa vel obscure zonata, obscura, subtiliter pubescens vel saepe glabra, badia, umbrina, interdum violacea, cuticula absens; superficies hymemalis aequa, hinnulea, badia, rosea, vel violacea, siccitate tabacina. Contexttls hinnuleus, badius, vel castaneus, 1-3 mm. crassus; hyphae skeletales 4-4.5 µ crassae, fuscidulae, apicibus versus brachiatae, aseptatae; hyphae generativae 2-2.5 µ crassae, septatae, brachiatae. Pori rotundati, corioquisque 1-5 mm. altitudineum, badii, sectione castanei vel violacei, 7-9 per mm.; dissepimenta 50-100 µ crassa. Setae deficientes. Sporae oblongae, terminationibus rotundatis, 3.5-5 x 2-3 µ, leves, flavo-brunneae.

Specimens are variable in size, shape, and colour. Most are effused-reflexed, a few resupinate. In fresh specimens the hymenial layer may be coloured rose-pink, some shade of brown, or violaceous. The species may be recognised readily by the light weight of the hymenophore, oblong coloured spores, minute pores, thin dissepiments, and fuscous skeletal hyphae which, though coloured, stain blue readily.

Beilschmiedia tarairi (A.Cunn.) Benth. & Hook.f. Auckland. Awhitu Peninsula, 350 feet, April 1946, G.H.C., type collection