The description in Cunningham (1965) is adequate except for the spores. All collections in PDD are sterile except one (PDD 11098) in which spores are cylindrical, 5-7.5 x 2-2.7 µm. Cunningham described the spores as ellipsoid, 8-10 x 5-6 µm.
We prefer to place the species in Fomitopsis P. Karst. because of the perennial basidiocarp with a crust, slightly coloured context, hyaline, nonamyloid, cylindrical spores, and brown rot in the host. These are all characters of F. pinicola (Sw.: Fr.) P. Karst., the type species of Fomitopsis.

Holotype: PDD 38093 - New Zealand, Auckland, Waitakere Ranges, Anawhata Road, Aug. 1947, J.M. Dingley, on Nestegis cunninghamii (Hook. f.) L.

OLEACEAE. Gymnelaea cunninghamii: Auckland, Upper Piha Valley, 300 m; Anawhata Road, Waitakere Ranges, 300 m, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 6657; Cutty Grass Road, Waitakere Ranges, 300 m; Mamaku Forest, 600 m. Wellington, Erua State Forest, 900 m.

Hymenophore perennial, solitary, woody, attached laterally or pendent by a broad base from the lower surface of fallen trunks. Pilei ungulate, sometimes applanate, occasionally resupinate, 6-14 cm wide, 3-9 cm radius, 3-17 cm thick; pileus surface dark fuscous brown, commonly black, dull, glabrous, concentrically sulcate, nodulose or irregularly roughened; cortex to 0.25 mm thick, black, shining, of densely intertwined and cemented hyphae; margin obtuse, even or crenate, concolorous; hymenial surface plane or slightly concave, ochraceous, becoming bay or ferruginous, often receding with each successive pore layer, with a black nodulose sterile border 1-10 mm wide. Pores stratose, occupying the bulk of the pileus, each layer 1-4 cm deep, fawn, 3-4 per mm, 150-250 µm diameter; dissepiments 50-350 µm thick, equal, apices velutinate. Context wood colour, drying bay or ferruginous, soft, 2-5 mm thick, of intertwined hyphae; skeletal hyphae to 4-5 µm diameter, unbranched, tapering at ends, aseptate, lumena capillary, hyaline or tinted; binding hyphae to 3 µm diameter, freely branched, aseptate, undulate, lumena almost capillary; generative hyphae to 3.5 µm diameter, freely branched, septate, walls hyaline, 0-2 µm thick. Hymenial layer to 20 µm deep, a close palisade of basidia and paraphyses, soon collapsing. Basidia clavate, 8-12 x 4-5 µm, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata erect, to 3 µm long. Paraphyses clavate, 6-10 x 3.5-4 µm. Spores elliptical, some slightly fusiform, 8-10 x 5-6 µm, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µm thick.

New Zealand.

Hymenophorum perenne, solum, ligneum, basi lata adjunctum. Pilei ungulati,. interdum applanati, raro resupinati, 6-14 cm lati, 3-9 cm radii, 3-17 cm crassi; superficie fusco-brunnea, concentric¬aliter sulcata; corticie ad 0.25mm crasso, nigro; margine obtuso, aequo vel crenato, concolori; hymenii superficie plana vel concava, ochracea, saepe recedenti, margine nigro sterili 1-10 mm lato. Pori stratosi 3-4 per mm, 150-250 µm diam. ; dissepimentis 50-350 µm crassis, aequis, apicibus velutinatis. Contextus 2-5 mm crassus; hyphae skeletales ad 4 - 5 µm diam., non ramosae, apicibus fastigatis, aseptatae, hyalinis; hyphae ligantes ad 3 µm, diam., ramosae, aseptatae, undulatae, luminibus ; hyphae generatoriae ad 3 - 5 µm diam., ramosae, septatae, hyalinae, 0.2 µm crassae. Basidia clavata, 8-12 x 4-5 µm, 4 sporas in sterigmatis ad 3 µm longis gerentia. Sporae ellipticae, interdum fusiformes, 8-10 x 5-6 µm, laeves, hyalinae. On decorticated wood of Gymnelaea cunninghamii, Waitakere Ranges, Auckland, N.Z.

Specific features are the pallid colour of context and pores contrasting with the black exterior, black cortex, moderately sized pores and somewhat large spores. Pilei are irregular in shape, most being ungulate, some also cylindrical when multistratose, applanate, or resupinate. Hyphae of the context are hyaline or tinted yellow and do not darken in aqueous solutions of potassium hydroxide. The hyphal system is trimitic although this is not easy to ascertain since binding hyphae are scanty; but the presence of clamp connections associated with stratose pores and hyaline hyphae indicate that the species has this type of hyphal system. The species differs from L. officinalis in the presence of a conspicuous black cortex, differently shaped much larger spores, different colour of context free from mucilage. The species appears to be confined to the one host, from the Maori name of which the specific name has been taken.