Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Kaiinauawa Ranges, 2,500ft.. March, 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11427. Podocarpus hallii Kirk. Taranaki : Mt. Egmont, 2,500ft., January, 1953, J.M. Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, adnate, ceraceous, effused, forming irregular areas to 10 x 5 cm.; surface when fresh saffron- or chrome-yellow, drying buff or fawn, even, becoming deeply areolately creviced, and tending to peel away in flakes; margin thinning out, adnate, concolorous, vernicose when fresh. Context yellow, 100-200 µ thick, composed of a narrow basal layer of parallel hyphae and an intermediate layer of compacted vertical hyphae coated with yellow mucilage granules, masses of crystals embedded in lower portions; generative hyphae 2.5-3 µ diameter, wall 0.2 µ thick, naked, branched, hyaline, septate, with abundant clamp connections. Hymenial layer to 35 µ deep, of basidia, paraphyses and paraphysate hyphae closely compacted. Basidia subclavate, 14-25 x 3-5 µ, not projecting, 2-4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses cylindrical or subelavate, narrower than the basidia. Paraphysate hyphae cylindrical or aculeate, abundant, projecting to 10 µ. Spores broadly elliptical, 4-5.5 x 2.5-3 µ, abundant, wall smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on dead standing decorticated trunks.

Hymenophorum ceraceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie primo crocea, siccitatae bubalina vel hinnulea, deinde alte areolato rimosa et saepe in lamellis decorticans. Contextus flavus, hyphis in conglomeratis crystallis sitis et flavis granulis mucilaginis tectis, fibulatis, 2.5-3 µ diam. Basidia 14-25 x 3-5 µ, 2-4 sporis. Hyphae paraphysatae copiosae adsunt. Sporae late ellipticae, 4-5.5 x 2.5-3 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Separated from other ceraceous species bearing mucilage by the chrome-yellow colour (when fresh) of the deeply areolated surface, small basidia and presence of abundant paraphysate hyphae projecting to 10 µ. Both context hyphae and tissues of the hymenium are coated with fine granules of yellow mucilage, which gives colour to the plant; and the lower part of the context contains additionally islands of crystals which may be scattered or arranged in the form of lenses. Type specimens were taken from bases of fire-killed decorticated trunks on which the fungus formed encircling sheets at or below the level of surrounding mosses.
In several features the species resembles the description of Peniophora sacchari Burt which was recorded from Porto Rico on sugarcane trash; but is not so referred since type material has not been examined.

Auckland: Kaiinauawa Ranges, 2,500ft.. March, 1952, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 11427.

Hymenial surface even, chrome-yellow at the margin and more orange to reddish brown towards the centre, turning red in KOH. Cystidia hyaline, thin-walled, clavate to capitate, smooth or sometimes (in older parts) covered with resinous material, projecting up to 12 µm. Spores hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, ellipsoid, 4.2-5 X 2-2.3 x 2.2-2.5 µm, not amyloid.

The species, which causes a weak white rot, belongs to Phlebia and is close to Ph. femsjoeensis (Litsch. & Lund.) J. Erikss. & Hjortst., which has a distinct warted to phlebioid hymenial surface and longer cystidia. It also resembles Ph. lilascens (Bourd.) J. Erikss. & Hjortst., which has no cystidia and often a pinkish to violaceous colour.