Coprosma australis (A. Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Off Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 1,000ft., June, 1946, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 4525; same locality, April, 1947, M. Ambler; Cutty Grass Road, Waitakeres, 1,000ft., April, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Upper Piha Valley, August, 1949, J.M. Dingley; Mt. Atkinson, Titirangi, 1,000ft., May, 1950, J.M. Dingley; Mountain Road, Henderson, 600ft., July, 1950, J.M. Dingley. Coprosma robusta Raoul. Auckland: Mt. Te Aroha. 1,100ft., December, 1953. G.H.C. Wellington: Lake Papaetonga, 50ft., September, 1953, G.H.C.

Hymenophore annual, tending to lift at edges of crevices and curl at margins when old, ceraceous, effused forming linear areas to 18 x 5 cm., with several orbicular outlying islands; surface cream, becoming fawn or tan, even, at length creviced; margin thinning out, white, arachnoid, adnate but tending to lift when old. Context white, 150-250 µ thick, composed of a compact basal layer of parallel hyphae and an intermediate layer of loosely arranged upright hyphae somewhat corymbose beneath the hymenium, crystal coated or naked; generative hyphae 4-5 µ diameter commonly 3-4 µ, wall 0.5 µ thick, hyaline, somewhat oval in section, branched, septate, with clamp connections. Hymenial layer 50-60 µ deep, of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia subclavate or as often subcylindrical, 12-20 x 3-5 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 4 µ long. Paraphyses cylindrical or subclavate, narrower than the basidia. Gloeocystidia confined to the hymenial region, elongate-fusiforin, ventricose, some flexuous-cylindrical, attenuate to the apex, or inflated in the middle and tapering to ends, 30-64 x 6-8 µ, projecting to 25 µ, or not, base rounded, sometimes inflated to 12 µ, wall 0.5-1 µ thick; vesicles pyriform or subglobose, to 16 µ diameter, wall 11 µ thick, attached by a narrow neck, scattered in the intermediate layer, collapsing. Spores pip-shaped, with rounded apex and attenuate base, 5-6 x 2.5-3 µ, wall smooth, hyaline, 0.25 µ thick, sometimes adhering in fours.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on bark of dead branches.

Hymenophorum ceraceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie cremea deinde alutacea, aequa, demum rimosa. Hyphae contextu fibulatae, 4-5 µ diam., prope basim crystallis. Basidia 12-20 x 3-5 µ, 4 sporis. Gloeocystidia fusiformia vel ventricosa, 30-64 x 6-8 µ; vesiculis pyriformibus vel subglobosis, ad 16 µ diam. Sporae obovatae, attenuato-apiculatae, quaternae conglutinatae, 5-6 x 2.5-3 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Gloeocystidia vary in shape and size, and are usually confined to the upper part of the context; they are often sparse and difficult to demonstrate save near growing margins. Associated vesicles are usually pyriform and attached by a narrow base, less often subglobose. Usually scattered through the context, sometimes arranged in a dense zone beneath the hymenial layer, vesicles may sometimes be seen only near margins. In mature specimens they usually disappear leaving cavities in the compact often pseudoparenchymatous tissues. Clamp connections are large and abundant in context hyphae, though absent from bases of gloeocystidia and vesicles. The fungus is probably a parasite, since collections have been taken from recently dead branches attached to living plants and still retaining some discoloured leaves.
Superficially the species resembles C. evolvens Fr. but differs in such microfeatures as much smaller spores and basidia, different gloeocystidia and presence of vesicles. It also resembles C. evolvens and C. gloeosporum Talbot in that the pip-shaped spores often adhere in fours.

Auckland: Off Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 1,000ft., June, 1946, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 4525

This species is closely related to Cylindrobasidium albulum (G.F.Atk. & Burt) J. Erikss. & Hjortstam and C. torrendii (Bres.) Hjortstam, preferably by its morphology of spores and cystidia. The former are typically pip-shaped and often in pairs or 3-4. C. coprosmae seems to be rather well separated from both, above all by a very dense hyphal texture and basidial layer. There is a good original description and Cunningham also pointed out the similarity with Corticium evolvens Fr.:Fr. [=Cylindrobasidium evolvens (Fr.:Fr.) Jülich]. It should be noted that Stalpers (1985) transferred C. coprosmae to Chondrostereum Pouzar. The latter is a pileate (or sometimes resupinate) genus with differently shaped spores and is reminiscent of Phlebia Fr. (see Eriksson and Ryvarden 1973). Chamuris (1988) did not accept C. coprosmae in Chondrostereum.

Isotype: New Zealand, Auckland, 1946, J. M. Dingley, PDD 4528 (K).

Under a hand lens the specimen shows a duplex structure; the basal layer is parallel to the substratum and loosely interwoven; the subicular layer is rather compact, but occasionally shows "holes"; the subhymenial layer is more or less agglutinated. Basal hyphae hyaline, thin- to slightly thick-walled, 2.5-4.5 µm wide, with clamps. Vesicles rare, more or less pyriform, thin- to somewhat thick-walled, about 15 x 9 µm. Cystidia rare, clavate to acuminate, basally often swollen, projecting up to 20 µm, originating in subhymenium or subiculum. Spores hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, ellipsoid to typically pip-shaped, 4.5-6 x 2.5-3.5 x 3-3.5 µm.

The species is transferred to Chondrostereum Pouzar because of its duplex structure, the typical vesicles, and the somewhat thick-walled subicular hyphae which swell in KOH. Contrary to the typically effused-reflexed C. purpureum (Pers.:Fr.) Pouzar, the type specimen of C. coprosmae is strictly resupinate and the texture of the basal hyphae does not give the impression of a potential for reflection of the basidiome. However, this character alone does not justify the erection of a new genus. A comparable situation is found in Amylostereum Boidin, where A. laevigatum (Fr.) Boidin is strictly resupinate and has no distinct basal layer, whereas A. chailletii (Pers.) Boidin and A. areolatum (Fr.) Boidin may also be effused-reflexed and have a distinct basal layer.