Additional specimens examined: NEW ZEALAND: Auckland, Franklin County, Hunua Ranges, Mangatangi Hill Rd, on decorticated wood, Dingley et al., 17 Apr. 1973 (PDD 34935, Samuels 73-30), Waitemata County, Waitakere Ranges, data as holotype (PDD 34936, Samuels 74-135).

Mycelium a ring of white hyphae around each perithecial base or not visible. Perithecia solitary or in groups of a few; white; globose to pyriform, 150-250µm in diam.; with an apical, sometimes slightly stellate, disc; collapsing by lateral pinching or not collapsing when dry, not changing colour in 3% potassium hydroxide. Perithecial wall 15-25 µm wide. Surface view: textura intricata, walls of cells 1-2 µm thick. Longitudinal section: outer region c. 10 µwide, cells elliptic, 3-5 x 2-3 µm, walls of cells 1-2 µm thick; inner region 5-10 µm wide, cells tangentially compressed, 5-7 x 2-3 µm, walls 0.5-1 µm thick. Ostiolar disc 150-200 µm in diam., composed of agglutinated hyphae arising from the outer region of the perithecial wall; hyphae branched, septate with walls 1-2µm thick; groups of hyphae sometimes growing outwardly from the disc to form short, triangular hairs. Ostiolar canal piercing the ostiolar disc, periphysate. Asci clavate, (50-) 60-80 (-87) x (6-) 8-10 (-11) µm, 8-spored; apices rounded, simple, or with a poorly visible ring; bases rounded or pedicellate; ascospores forming throughout the length. Ascospores clavate, tapering from the rounded apical end to the pointed basal end or fusiform, (25-) 27-32 (-37) x 3.5-4 µm, 7-8-septate, smooth, not constricted at the septa, hyaline.
Characteristics in culture: Colony characteristics: CMD, 1-2cm; ME and PDA, 1-1.5 cm. Aerial mycelium lacking or sparse, white. Surface of colony on PDA shining and wrinkled. Colonies non-pigmented. Conidia forming within 2 weeks. Conidiophores arising from the surface of the colony, bearing a single phialide, unbranched (1-) 2-3-septate, straight, smooth, 70-135 (-170) µm long, (1.5-) 2-3 µm wide basally, subtending hypha 1.5-3 µm wide. Phialides (35-) 50-70 (-135) µm long, 1.5-2 µm wide at the unflared tip. Conidia cylindrical with rounded to pointed ends, 0-7-septate with 3-septate conidia predominating, (15-) 19-25 (-28) x 2-3µm, without a basal abscission scar; held in a hyaline drop of liquid.

Habitat: On decaying leaves and decorticated wood.

Perithecia 150-250 µm diametro, globosa vel pyriformia, alba, appendiculis brevibus, pluricellularibus, planatis, triangularibus et hyalinis vestita; asci cylindrici vel fusiformes, 60-80 x 8-10 µm; ascosporae 7-8-septatae, clavatae, 27-32 x 3.5-4µm, hyalinae. HOLOTYPUS: PDD 34934. Conidial state: Cylindrocarpon sp.

Holotype: NEW ZEALAND: Auckland, Waitemata County, Waitakere Ranges, vic. Piha, Marowhara Loop Track, on dead leaf of Phormium tenax, Dingley et al., 17 Dec. 1974 (PDD 34934, Samuels 74-140).

Anamorph. Cephalosporiopsis sp.
Mycelium not evident, or appearing as a ring of white hyphae around each perithecial base. Perithecia superficial, nonstromatic, globose to pyriform with a flat apex, white, 150-250 µm diam., with an ostiolar disc of intertwined hyphae. Asci clavate, (50-)60-80(-87) x (6-)8-11 µm, apex with an obscure ring, often appearing simple. Ascospores clavate to fusiform, 27-42 x 3-4.5 µm, 5-9(-13)-septate, smooth, colorless.

Habitat. On woody and herbaceous debris.

Notes. For illustrations and complete descriptions see Samuels (1978, as Nectria corynospora) and Rossman (1983, as Nectria opalina). Rossman (1983) gave Nectria corynospora as a synonym of N. opalina. However, perithecia of N. opalina were originally described as being half immersed in the substrate, and with a papilla (Crouan & Crouan, 1867). Ms. Rosalind Lowen (NY) has reexamined the type collection of N. opalina (CO), finding an immersed ascomycete with light-colored perithecia and phragmosporous ascospores; the ascal apex was thickened, however, typical of the Clavicipitales. Because perithecia of Peristomialis corynospora are entirely superficial, and because its asci lack apical thickening, it is unlikely that P. corynospora and N. opalina are conspecific. Rossman's (1983) description agrees in all details with P. corynospora, thus suggesting that at least one perithecium of the species was indeed present with perithecia of the type of N. opalina.