Type: Xylophilous Fungi; Description: Isolated from stained sapwood and not seen fruiting in nature. The following description is from cultures on 2% malt extract agar. Colonies floccose, blackish grey with some grey aerial mycelium, often diurnally zonate. Ascomata not found in nature but produced in culture when paired with the appropriate mating type; scattered, superficial, globose with long necks, black, 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter, perithecial necks straight or curved, black, 500–800 μm long, ostiolar hyphae divergent, straight, 15–20 μm long, hyaline. Asci evanescent. Ascospores oblong-cylindrical, 0-septate, 2–4 × 1–2 μm, smooth, hyaline. Pesotum synanamorph. Conidiophores forming a dark brown to black stipe 1000–1500 μm long; conidiogenous cells borne on penicillate branches, hyaline. Conidia oblong-cylindrical, 0-septate, 3–4 × 1–1.5 μm, smooth, hyaline. Sporothrix synanamorph. Conidiogenous cells denticulate. Conidia produced sympodially on the denticles, oblong cylindrical, 0-septate, 4–7 × 1–2 μm, smooth, hyaline.

Distribution: Auckland, Taupo, Mid Canterbury.; 1st Record: Harrington et al. (2001).

Notes: This species has for a long time been regarded as conspecific with Ophiostoma piceae (Hunt 1956, Upadhyay 1981) but Brasier & Kirk (1993) have provided evidence that it is clearly distinguishable as a separate species. Ophiostoma quercus is difficult to distinguish morphologically from O. piceae in culture but O. quercus isolates grow at 32 C, whereas O. piceae isolates do not.

Significance: None in forestry. Associated with a blue-black stain in wood.; Host(s): Nothofagus fusca, Pinus radiata.