[GS] Pileus 4-8 cm. diam., plane with edge down-rolled, velvety fibrillose; flesh thin, pinkish. Gills adnate, white to pink tinted, thin, crowded, some forking, margins serrulate. Stipe 1 -5 cm. x 1 -5-3 mm., whitish, excentric to almost lateral, tough, some with rhizomorphs attached. Spores 7 x 4-4.5um, non-amyloid, thin-walled (Fig. 2/10, p. 37). Hymenophoral trama subregular. Cuticle of moderately loosely woven hyphae. HABITAT: on fallen rotting wood, Ohau River, Levin, 25.5.1952, Stevenson (type). [EH] = Rhodocybe albovelutina. There is no doubt that this species with pinkish, angular spores, 5.5-7 X 3.5-5 um., has to be transferred to Rhodocybe. [EH] The two laterally stipitate or eccentric New Zealand species of Rhodocybe [conchata] are readily distinguished by the shape and colour of the pileus and the presence or absence of pseudocystidia and clamp connections on cuticular hyphae. [Bandoni] Spores 5.5-8.5 X 4-5(-5.5) um, broadly ellipsoid in profile and face view and with a suprahilar depression in profile view, angular in profile view, undulate-pustulate or some almost smooth in all views, walls cyanophilic, inamyloid, pale yellowish to faintly pinkish tinted in mass in KOH. Basidia 16-21 x 5.5-7 um, 4-sterigmate, lacking cyanophilic bodies. Hymenial cystidia not differentiated. Lamellar trama of parallel hyphae, cylindric to inflated, 5-18 um in diam. Subhymenium of cylindric very loosely interwoven, somewhat gelatinized hyphae (i.e., many hyphae collapsed and refractive in KOH and hymenium easily separable from the trama). Pileal context of radially arranged hyphae, mostly inflated, 5.5-25 um in diam. Pileipellis a compact layer of repent, interwoven hyphae, nonincrusted, cylindric, 3-5.5, um, hyaline to pale cinnamon in KOH. Clamp connections present on hyphae of the pileipellis, pileal context and lamellar trama. Pileipellis a compact layer of repent, interwoven hyphae, nonincrusted, cylindric, 3-5.5, fjm, hyaline to pale cinnamon in KOH. Stipitipellis not studied. Clamp connections present on hyphae of the pileipellis, pileal context and lamellar trama. Lignicolous. May. Material studied: NEW ZEALAND: Ohau River, Levin, G. Stevenson 847 (Holotype, K). Though the color of the pileus was not mentioned in Stevenson's description, it is quite pallid in the single dried type specimen, being mostly "light buff" with "warm buff" or "ochraceus buff" spots. Rhodocybe albovelutina might be confused with R. fallax because of its similar pale color and tough stipe, but the eccentric attachment of the stipe, the serrulate lamellar edges, and lignicolous habitat are features which readily distinguish R. albovelutina from R. fallax. Rhodocybe albovelutina is also one of the few rhodocybes which possesses clamp connections on the hyphae of its basidiocarp. Rhodocybe fallax is a clampless species. Since some of the spores appear smooth under the oil immersion objective, care must be taken to observe a number of spores for ornamentation as well as angularity. The undulate-pustulate surface of the spores is readily recognized under the SEM. [EH 2008] The type material for Rhodocybe albovelutina is in very poor condition. Accordingly, no taxonomically relevant microscopic data (basidia, pseudocystidia, pileipellis) can be provided. In New Zealand, R. albovelutina is the larger (pileus up to 80 mm diam.) of the two laterally or eccentrically stipitate species of Rhodocybe. It is readily distinguished by the size, shape, and colour of the pileus and the absence of pseudocystidia and clamp connections on the hyphae of the pileipellis [JAC] spores indistinctly angled, not cyanophilous, clamps confirmed, gill edge not especially serrated, eccentric stipe confirmed but no wood residue at the stem base. Spores including apiculus length=5.6–7.8µm (µ=6.5, σ=0.57), width=3.5–5.0µm (µ=4.2, σ=0.37), Q=1.4–1.8µm (µ=1.56, σ=0.10), n=22

New Zealand: North Island. Levin. Ohau Riven 25.V. 1952, leg. Stevenson-Cone 847 (K, holotype).

On fallen rotting wood. New Zealand.

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.); Horak (1971: loc. cit.).

The two laterally stipitate or eccentric New Zealand species of Rhodocybe are readily distinguished by the shape and colour of the pileus and the presence or absence of pseudocystidia and clamp connections on cuticular hyphae. For more information about R. albovelutina see Horak (1971 a, p.407).

[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Kew images.

Pileus 4-8 cm diam., plane with edge down-rolled, velvety fibrillose; flesh thin, pinkish. Gills adnate, white to pink tinted, thin, crowded, some forking, margins serrulate. Stipe 1-5 cm x 1.5-3 mm, whitish, excentric to almost lateral, tough, some with rhizomorphs attached. Spores 7 x 4-4.5 µm, non-amyloid, thin-walled (Fig. 10). Hymenophoral trama subregularis. Cuticle of moderately loosely woven hyphae.

On fallen rotting wood, Ohau River, Levin, 25.5.1952, Stevenson (type).

Pileus 4-8 cm diam., planus, margine deorsum involute, velutino-fibrillosus; caro tenuis, subpunicea. Lamellae adnatae, albae usque puniceo-tinctae, tenues, confertae, nonnullae furcatae, marginibus serrulatis. Stipes 1-5 cm x 1.5-3 mm, albidus, excentricus usque fere lateralis, tenax, rhizomorphis nonnunquam adnexis. Sporae 7 x 4-4.5 µm, haud amyloideae, parietibus tenuibus. Trama hymenophoralis subregularis. Cuticula ex hyphis modice laxe intertextis sistens.

Typus: Stevenson 847.