ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: BRAZIL: São Leopoldo, in ligno frondoso, cf. Acer biella, 1929, Rick, PACA 19025*, probably isotype, includes hand-written description; São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, 1929, Rick, FH*; São Leopoldo, 1929, Rick, PACA 19004*; São Leopoldo, 1929, Braun, PACA 19058*. NEW ZEALAND: NORTH ISLAND: NORTHLAND: Hokianga Co., on Rhopalostylis sapida, 11 May 1983, G. J. Samuels, PDD 45780.

Subiculum evanescent, in young material white to grey, felty, absent in mature and old material. Stromata (600)710 ± 76(800) µm high, (575)730 ± 105(850) µm wide (n = 5), conical, black, leaving a ring on the substrate when detached, solitary or crowded in small groups, sometimes fused together, seating on a common stromatal base. Ostioles pointed, hardly differentiated. Ectostroma 25- 50 µm, black. Entostroma absent in mature material. Perithecia detached in older material. Ascus apical rings (13.4)14.2 ± 0.8(15.4) µm high, upper width 7.6-8.6 µm, lower width 5.7-7.7 µm (n = 5), J+, dark blue. Ascospores (60.5)71.2 ± 3.8(78.7) µm long, (9.6)11.5 ± 0.9(13.4) µm wide (n = 30), banana-shaped, brown to dark brown, with straight germ slit extending the whole spore length, both extremities and flattened to concave side surrounded by a slimy sheath.

HOST: Rhopalostylis sapida.
MATRIX: Rachides.

NOTES: Rosellinia longispora is characterised by long ascospores with a germ slit extending the whole spore length and a poorly developed, evanescent subiculum. It was possible to compare the New Zealand specimen with original material of R. longispora from the Rick collections held at FH and PACA. The discriminant analysis revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in the size of the ascospores; analysis of variance demonstrated the same for stromata, and ascus apical rings (results not shown). The Rick material is on decorticated dicotyledonous wood, whereas the New Zealand specimen is on palm fronds.
The type material of R. emergens (Berk. & Broome) Sacc., K, has morphologically similar ascospores, but the subiculum is persistent and well developed, dark brown, and wiry (L. E. Petrini unpubl. data). R. formosana Y.-M.Ju & J.D.Rogers has wider, differently shaped stromata and larger ascospores than R. longispora (Ju & Rogers 1999).

TYPE: Brazil: Rick expeditions in Brazil, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, 1929, Rick, FH*.