VIOLACEAE. Melicytus ramif/orus: Wellington, Totara Reserve, Pohangina Valley, 100 m, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17429.

Hymenophore annual, arachnoid, adherent, effused forming irregular areas to 15 x 3 cm; hymenial surface dingy white, or bluish-grey, somewhat resembling hoar frost when fresh, drying to a tenuous barely visible film, even, not creviced; margin thinning out, white, arachnoid, adherent. Context white, 60-80 µ thick, basal layer of parallel hyphae collapsed and cemented when old, intermediate layer wanting; generative hyphae 3.5-4 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, naked, without clamp connections. Hymenial layer to 25 µ deep, a loose palisade of basidia, paraphyses, and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia cylindrical with slightly inflated bases, or narrowly ovate, 16-20 x 6-7 µ, bearing 4 spores; sterigmata arcuate, slender, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses ovate or pyriform; 9-11 x 5-6 µ. Paraphysate hyphae cylindrical or tapering slightly to rounded apices, 16-20 x 5-6 µ, abundant. Spores globose or subglobose, 5-6 µ diameter, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2 µ thick.

TYPE LOCALITY: Pohangina Valley, Wellington, New Zealand.
DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on decayed decorticated wood.

Hymenophorum araneum, effusum, membrana tenui; superficie alba vel griseo-veneta, aequa, non rimosa. Hyphae generatoriae afibulatae, 3.5-4 µ diam. Stratum medium contextus abest. Basidia cylindricalia vel angusto ovata, 16-20 x 6-7 µ, 4 sporis. Sporae globosae vel subglobosae, 5-6 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis. On decayed decorticated wood of Melicytus ramiflorus, Pohangina Valley, Wellington, N.Z.

Characters by which the species may be recognised are the small, smooth, globose spores, ovate or slightly pyriform basidia bearing four spores, cylindrical, abundant paraphysate hyphae, delicate adherent hymenophore and absence of an intermediate layer. Resembling hoar frost when fresh, when dried the hymenophore is barely visible, save under a lens.

Basidiome when dry reticulate; hymenium not continuous. Hymenial surface whitish. Hyphae hyaline, thin-walled, 2-3.5 µm wide, with clamps. Cystidia hyaline, thin-walled, apically containing a resinous drop which stains strongly in phloxine, but not in Melzer's reagent, smooth or sometimes encrusted with resinous material. Basidia hyaline, thin-walled, often swollen at the base, 13-18 X 5-8 µm, apically 4-6 µm wide. Some repetobasidia seen. Spores globose to subglobose, 5-6 X 4.5-6 µm.

The species belongs to Repetobasidium J. Erikss. and is very close to R. mirificum J. Erikss., differing only in the absence of distinctly capitate cystidia.