Colonies effuse, black. Mycelium immersed, composed of pale brown hyphae 1.5-3.0 um wide, here and there forming knots of dark brown cells. Conidiophores macronematous, unbranched, scattered and solitary or in groups of 2 to 4, arising from knots of hyphal cells, straight or flexuous, up to 350 um long, septate at 18-27 um intervals, cylindrical, 8-9 um wide at the base, 7.2-9.0 um wide toward the apex, very dark brown to black for most of their length, hyaline at the immediate apex, thick-walled, finally strongly denticulate toward the apex with the scars of schizolytically released conidia. Conidia produced blastically on successive sympodial extensions of the condiophore, dry, obovoid to ellipsoidal, brown to dark brown, smooth, (2-)3-7 septate with a single longitudinal septum in one of the cells of occasional 5-, 6-, or 7-septate conidia; they measure 23.4-37.8 X 10.8-15.3 um (3-septate), 32-43 X 10.8-15.5 um (4-septate), 30.6-43.0 X 12.6-14.4 um (5-septate), 37.8-43.0 X 11.7-12.6 um (6-septate), and 42.3-47.7 X 12.6-13.5 um (7-septate), 3.0-4.5 um wide at the truncate base. Often closely associated with Pseudospiropes novae-zelandiae

saepe mix tus cum Pseudospiropede novaezelandiae in cortice putrido Nothofagi fuscae et N. truncatae. Nova Zelandia.

Coloniae effusae, atrae. Mycelium irnmersum ex hyphis pallide brunneis 1.5-3.0 um crassis compositum. Conidiophora singula vel 2-4 aggregata, simplicia, dispersa, recta vel flexuosa, usque ad 350 um longa, septata, basi 8-9 um crassa, cylindrica, atrobrunnea vel atra, sympodialiter poly-blastica, apice 7.2-9.um crassa, hyalina et cicatricibus conidiorum delapsorum fortiter denticulata. Conidia sicca, obovoidea vel ellipsoidea, brunnea vel atrebrunnea, laevia, (2-)3-7-septata, aliquando septo unico longitudinali, basi truncata, ciactrice plana 3.0-4.5 um crassa praedita. Conidia schizolytice secedentia, 23.4-37.8 X 10.8-15.3 um (3-septata), 32-43X 10.8-15.5 um (4-septata), 30.6-43.0 X 12.6-14.4 um (5-septata), 37.8-43.0 X 11.7-12.6 um (6-septata) et 42.3-47.7 X 12.6-13.5 um (7-septata).

The assignment to the genus Pseudospiropes of the new species P. novae-zelandiae and P. variabilis is made with some misgivings, although their inclusion in this genus does not conflict with its current broad circumscription. It is becoming clear, however, that the genus embraces at least two disparate elements. For example, it has been shown by Iturriaga (1984), Iturriaga & Korf (1984) and Iturriaga & Israel (1985) that two unidentified species of true Pseudospiropes [probably P. nodosus (Wallr.) M. B. Ellis, the type species, and P. simplex (Kunze) M. B. Ellis] represent the anamorphs of two different species of the inoperculate discomycete Strossmayeria SchuIzer. On the other hand, Pseudospiropes longipilus (Corda) Holubova-Jechova (=Helminthosporium longipilum Corda) was shown by Hughes (1950) to be an anamorph of the bitunicate pyrenomycete Melanomma subdispersum (Karsten) Berlese and Voglino (=-Sphaeria subdispersa Karst). The two new species of Pseudospiropes with their thin-walled, more or less ellipsoidal conidia are certainly morphologically closer to P. longipilus that to P. nodosus and P. simplex which have fusiform to navicular thickwalled conidia (pseudoseptate,sensu Ellis, 1971, and distoseptate sensu Luttrell, 1963). Notwithstanding such differences, I continue to use the generic name in the broad sense until a revision is possible. It may be added that Eriksson (1981) reported that Moriola descensa Norman (1872) provides an earlier name for Melanomma subdispersum. He gave reasons for excluding the fungus from Melanomma Nitschke ex Fuckel and discussed a more suitable generic disposition.