Stromata scattered, solitary, barely raised above the surface of the substrate, circular in outline, 2 mm diam, with a minute papilla in the center, consisting of an ectostroma, an entostroma, and a solitary perithecium. Ectostroma ca. 0.5 mm thick, heavily carbonized, black, smooth, with a minute papilla in the middle; formed on the surface of wood and easily removed intact from wood. Entostroma ca. 0.5 mm thick, growing within wood and circumscribing a portion of nonstromatized wood that contains a single perithecium. Perithecia solitary, a single perithecium forming below the ectostroma and within the entostroma; perithecium ca. 200 µm diam, perithecial apex continuous with the ectostroma but the rest of the perithecium free and embedded within wood fibers; perithecial wall very thin, membranous, light brown; the presence or absence of periphyses in the ostiolar canal could not be confirmed. Asci 120-160 µm total length x 4-5(-6) µm, sporiferous part 60-100 µm, cylindrical, apical ring J+ (Melzer's), discoidal, 2 µm wide x 1 µm high; 8-spored, ascospores 1-seriate. Ascospores (10-)11-13(-14) x 4-5 µm, naviculate to ellipsoidal, 1-septate, septum submedian, many spores with a hyaline cellular appendage at each end while still in the ascus, appendage not apparent on discharged ascospores; hyaline, smooth. Paraphyses of two types persisting among mature asci. Paraphyses of Type 1 ca. 1 µm wide, frequently branched and anastomosed through short, lateral bridges, appearing aseptate. Paraphyses of Type 2 ca. 2 µm wide, infrequently branched, septate.
CHARACTERISTICS IN CULTURE. Colonies grown 2 weeks at 20^oC diffuse daylight on CMD, PDA and OA 1-1.5 cm diam, flat, white but with brown coloration in the center of some colonies, scant aerial mycelium on CMD and PDA, colony on OA felty. Conidiophores forming abundantly on CMD and OA; PDA colonies remaining sterile. Conidiophores 95-145 x 3 µm, brown, branching irregularly from the upper half, each branch a conidiogenous cell or many branches bearing two conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells 11-25 x 2.5-3 µm, cylindrical, bearing inconspicuous denticles over the terminal third, pale brown. Conidia 4-5(-6) x 2.5-3(-4) µm, narrowly ellipsoidal to subglobose, with a flat, 0.5 µm wide basal abscission scar, hyaline, smooth.

KNOWN DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand (Northland), known only from the type collection.

HABITAT. On decorticated wood.

Species typica sui generis. Stromata 2 mm diametro; ectostroma atque cupulatum entostroma ad 0.5 mm crassa. Ascomata solitaria, ad 200 µm diametro. Asci poroapicali discoideo iodi ope coerulescenti praediti, cylindracei, octospori, 120-160 x 4-5(-6) µm, parte ascosporae ferenti 60-100 µm. Ascosporae laeves, naviculares vel ellipticae, uniseptatae, apiosporae, appendicibus non coloratis amphigenis immaturae dum in asci praeditae, (10-)11-13 (-14) x 4-5 µm. Paraphyses inter ascos maturitate provecta tum exsertae, dimorphae.
Status anamorphosis ad Nodulisporium pertinens. Conidiophora 95-145 x 3 µm, brunnea, irregulariter ramosa. Cellulae conidiogenae 11-25 x 2.5-3 µm, cylindricae, indistincte denticulatae, dilute brunneae. Conidia anguste ellipsoidea vel subglobosa, plana basi ad 0.5 µm crassa, non colorata, laevia, 4-5(-6) x 2.5-3(-4) µm.
Habitat ad lignum sine cortice.
Holotypus: NOVAE ZELANDIAE, in Insula Septentrionali, in loco dicto Hokianga County, Waipoua State Forest, circa viam dictam Yakas Track, Samuels & Johnston leg., 30 majo 1982 (PDD 44399).

NOTES. We have not previously encountered such fine paraphyses as are found in Induratia apiospora and we were surprised to find them mingled with more typical, wider paraphyses. We were not able to determine whether the two types of paraphyses were connected to the top of the perithecial locule; they were definitely attached to the hymenium. The fine, anastomosing. paraphyses are morphologically similar to the "trabeculate" paraphyses described by Cheaters (1938) and Barr (1979) for Melanomma Nitschke ex Fuckel and the Melanommatales respectively.
Ascal dehiscence, observed in only few asci, occurred when the endotunica extruded through the ectotunica. Samuels & Ross man (1987) have noted such dehiscence in two species of Oxydothis Penz. & Sacc.
Induratia is morphologically somewhat similar to Exarmidium Karsten, a genus that Barr & Boise (1985) recently included in the Physosporellaceae (Phyllachorales) and that included some species that have amyloid ascal rings and other species, the asci of which have no apparent reaction to iodine. According to Barr & Boise (1985), ascal dehiscence is accomplished without the extrusion of an endotunica. The clypeus of Exarmidium species is soft, and there is no ventral entostroma while in Induratia the clypeus is extremely hard and the entostroma is conspicuous. As far as we are aware no species of Exarmidium have been cultured and no anamorphs have been linked to the genus. We doubt that there is a close relationship between Induratia and Exarmidium.
Induratia shares characters of the Xylariaceae and the Amphisphaeriaceae (sensu lat.). Its amyloid ascal ring and holoblastically produced conidia are common to both families. The Nodulisporium anamorph and heavily carbonized stroma are features of the Xylariaceae. The immersed perithecia, the presence of an ectostroma and an entostroma, and the colorless, bicellular ascospores are features of the Amphisphaeriaceae. Induratia is atypical in either family, but it has more in common with the genera of the Amphisphaeriaceae than with the much more homogeneous Xylariaceae. Pending a more thorough review of the Amphisphaeriaceae, we refer Induratia to that family.
The anamorph of Induratia apiospora is very similar to the Nodulisporium Preuss anamorphs formed by members of the Xylariaceae. There is an anamorph abundantly formed on the type specimen of I. apiospora. Conidiophores and conidiogenous cells are identical to those formed in cultures of I. apiospora but the conidia are lunate and short. The similarity of the conidiophores and the physical relationship of this anamorph to ascomata of I. apiospora suggest a genetic relationship that cannot be excluded in spite of the differences in the conidia. The formation of lunate conidia of I. apiospora would be consistent with what Samuels & Rossman (1987) have already described for Oxydothis selenosporellae Samuels & Rossman, and with what we have described below for species of Iodosphaeria.

HOLOTYPE. NEW ZEALAND: North Island, Northland, Hokianga County, Waipoua State Forest, between forest H.Q. and a point ca. 1/2 hr walk N of H.Q. along Yakas Track, on decorticated wood, Samuels & Johnston, 30 May 1982 (PDD 44399).