Distribution.-Weraroa, Wellington, N.Z. (100 m., G.H.C. 1/8/19. Type), Weraroa (E. H. Atkinson, 20/8/19; J. C. Neill, G.H.C., 2/5/23), Forest, Botanical Gardens, Wellington (80 m., G.H.C., May, Aug., 1922). Specimens in the herbarium of the writer, Nos. 872, 874, 1098.

Peridium commonly french-grey, changing in old specimens to pallid-green, ovate or elliptic-oblong, apex bluntly acuminate or obtuse, base bluntly rounded, or decurrent, 3-5 cm. high, 1.5-3 cm. wide, at first finely fibrillose, fibrils longitudinally arranged, so that the surface appears striate, becoming smooth, glabrous, polished and slightly viscid, coriaceous; margin folded and frequently lacerate, drying dingy brown. Stipe pallid french-grey or tinted bluish-green, yellowish at the base, slender, up to 4 cm. long, and 6 mm. thick, equal, at first fibrillose, becoming glabrous and polished, save at the base,. hollow; columella thickened at the apex. Gleba chocolate- or sepia-brown, coarsely cellular, sometimes lamellar, cells elongated, up to 10 mm., sparse, laterally compressed, dissepiments thin. Spores smooth, sepia-coloured, elliptic-ovate or elliptical, rounded at one end, 11-15 x 5-8 µ, epispore thin.

Habitat.-Solitary or crowded on decaying wood buried in the substratum. In lowland rain forest.

Peridio pallido-griseo vel pallido-wide, ovato vel elliptieo-oblongo, apice acuto vel obtuso, 3-5 cm. alto, 1.5-3 cm. lato, primum fibrilloso demum leve, glabro. Stipite pallido-griseo vel pallido-viride, 4 cm. longo, 6 mm. crasso, glabro, excavato. Gleba brunneo-nigra, cellulose vel lamelliforma. Sporis brunneo-nigris, elliptico-ovatis, vel ellipticis, levibus, 11-15 x 5-8 µ.

The sepia colour of the gleba serves to separate this from any other species in this section. It is fairly abundant in the early winter and spring months in lowland mixed rain-forest near Wellington. It occurs only on decaying wood, principally on rotting branches of Melicytus ramiflorus Forst. I have recently obtained a very complete suite of developmental stages, from which the abbreviated account of its development has been drawn up. The plant is usually covered with dried leaves, and so difficult to find unless these be first removed. It is readily eaten by slugs, and it is in consequence often difficult to find mature specimens that have not been injured by these animals.
The shape of the peridium varies considerably in different specimens, for one may obtain ovate, elliptical or even depressed-globose plants. When the plant is ovate, the columella is usually considerably thickened at the apex. Another variable feature is the gleba, which may in certain specimens be cellular, whilst in others it may be lamellas, approaching in extreme cases the gleba of 3. agaricoides. As all intermediate stages may be collected it is impossible to segregate these forms, save at the extremes.

Solitary vel gregarii ad lignis in silvis. Weraroa, Wellington, N.Z. 100 m. G.H.C.