Rhopalostylis sapida (Sol.) Wendl. & Drude. Auckland. Sharp's Bush, Henderson Valley, April, 1952, S.D. Baker, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11491. Huia, March, October, 1953, J.M. Dingley. Atkinson Park, Titirangi, 900ft, June, 1953, J.M. Dingley. Mountain Road, Henderson, 700ft, March, 1954, J.M. Dingley. Cascades, Waitakeres, 700ft, April, 1954, S.D. Baker. Whangapoua Saddle, Coromandel Peninsula, 1,000ft, August, 1954, J.M. Dingley Camel's Back; Coromandel Peninsula, 1,000ft, October. 1954, J.M. Dingley.

Hymenophore disciform or pezizaeform, solitary or in small groups of 3-5, attached by a small central base, annual, membranous, 1-6 mm diameter, orbicular or irregularly so, exterior dark brown, or fuseus, densely tomentose with delicate fuscous hyphae; Hymenial surface cream or pallid sulphur-yellow, velutinate, not creviced; margin slightly raised, or not, tomentose, concolorous. Context 300-800 µ thick, white, becoming dingy when old, basal layer of densely compacted parallel hyphae, intermediate layer of vertical compacted hyphae radiately arranged, pierced by the fascicles, becoming pseudoparenchymatous when old; generative hyphae 2-2.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 70 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 40-56 x 7-9 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, slightly arcuate, to 8 µ long. Paraphyses of the same length but narrower than the basidia. Paraphysate hyphae 2 µ diameter, slightly projecting, mostly peripheral, sometimes once or twice branched at apices. Fascicles arising from the basal layer, traversing the context and projecting to 130 µ, 20-30 per mm, aculeate, 150-900 µ long, 16-30 µ diameter, apices long-acuminate, of cemented hyphae embedding masses of crystals often placed obliquely. Spores oblong, obovate or subglobose, apiculate, 7-13 x 6-8 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0-5 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Scattered or gregarious on bark of living trunks.

Hynenophorum disciforme vel pezizaeforme, solitarium vel in 3-5 congregatum, annuum, membranaceum, 1-6 mm diam., extra tomentosum, superficie hymenii cremea vel pallide sulphurea, velutina, non rimosa. Contextus 300-800 µ crassus, albus. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 2-2.5 µ diam., hyalinae, septatae, nodulosae. Basidia subclavata, 40-56 x 7-9 µ. Fasciculi hypharum generatoriarum crystallis congregatis inclusis, ex strato infimo exorti, aculeati, 150-900 x 16-30 µ. Sporae oblongae, obovatae vel subglobosae, 7-13 x 6-8 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis.

Characterized by the small fructifications and peculiar fascicles. Fructifications may be disciform or pezizaeform and range in diameter from one to six mm. The surface is pallid sulphur-yellow and densely velutinate with projecting fascicles, in this feature simulating some delicate Hydnum. Fascicles arise in the basal layer, mostly from the region of the point of attachment, and extend radiately through context and hymenium. They appear as highly refractive bands on account of the masses of embedded crystals which are often arranged obliquely. Generative hyphae of the context are delicate, crowded vertically, and soon collapsed to form a pseudoparenchyma. Spores vary from elliptic-oblong or obovate, the common condition, to subglobose, and are strongly apiculate.