ISOLATE EXAMINED. FRR 1925, type isolate, from pasture grass, Otara, New Zealand, 1979, G. C. M. Latch.

On CYA at 25 C, 7 da, colonies 18-22 mm diam, plane, low, moderately dense and velutinous; margins low, entire; mycelium white to Pale Orange (5A3); conidiogenesis absent to light, Dull Green (26D3); exudate and soluble pigment absent; reverse Light Yellow or Orange (4-5A4-5). On MEA at 25 C, 7 da, colonies 28-32 mm diam, plane, low and moderately dense, strictly velutinous; margins entire, subsurface; mycelium subsurface and inconspicuous, white; conidiogenesis heavy, Dark Green (28F4-5); exudate and soluble pigment absent; reverse uncolored. On G25N at 25 C, 7 da, no germination to germination of conidia. At 5 C, CYA, 7 da, no germination. At 37 C, CYA, 7 da, colonies 40-50 mm diam, low, plane and sparse, of white mycelium only; reverse yellow-brown.
Conidiophores on MEA borne from surface hyphae or rudimentary funicles, of irregular structure, stipes short, 10-30 x 2-3.5 µm, smooth-walled; penicilli irregular, ranging from well-developed biverticillate structures through irregular monoverticillate and biverticillate forms down to occasional single phialides; phialides (10-)12-18(-25) x 2.8-3.5 µm, the shorter ones narrowing abruptly to long collula, the longer gradually tapering from base to apex, with collula straight or bent away from the phialide axis at the tips; conidia narrow ellipsoids, 5-7 (-10) x 2-2.5(-3) µm, smooth-walled, borne in long, disordered chains, appearing silky by incident light under low magnification.

In agaro CYA coloniae veteres unius hebdomadis 18-22 mm diam planae humiles moderate densae et velutinae; mycelium album vel aurantiacum; conidiogenesis sparsa glauca; reverso flavido vel aurantiaco. Conidiophora in agaro MEA portata ex hyphis paginis vel ex funiculis stipites 10-30 x 2-3.5 µm parietibus levibus; penicilli biverticillati vel irregulares; phialides (10-)12-18(-25) x 2.8-3.5 µm descrescentes abrupte vel gradatim collulis rectis vel obstipis; conidia anguste ellipsoidea 5-7(-10) x 2-2.5(-3) µm parietibus crassis levibus portatis inordinate catenis. Typus: Herb. FRR 1925, ex gramine pascuo Otara Novae Zeelandia, 1979, G. C. M. Latch.

ETYMOLOGY: Latin pascuum = a pasture, referring here to the source of this interesting fungus.
Taxonomy. - By the criteria discussed above, this species clearly belongs in Paecilomyces, as it produces irregular penicilli in which phialides have long collula, often bent away from the phialide axis. Conidia are thin-walled and elongate, again characteristic of this genus. Paecilomyces pascua has the distinction, however, of producing genuinely green conidia, a color usually associated with Penicillium, not Paecilomyces. Microscopic morphology, on the other hand, indicates clearly that this is not a Penicillium.

TYPIFICATION.- The dried herbarium specimen FRR 1925 is designated as HOLOTYPE of Paecilomyces pascua. Cultures from the type isolate have been accessioned by CMI as IMI 288717 and by ATCC as ATCC 56973.