SPECIMEN EXAMINED: WESTLAND: Paparoa Ranges, vic. Blackball, Croesius Track, Garden Gully, on decaying leaf of Astelia sp., Samuels (85- 80,) et al., 3, 4 May 1985 (PDD 49588).

Stromata solitary, scattered, simple, c. 1.5 cm long, filiform, c. 1 mm diam., black. Surface smooth to slightly wrinkled. Perithecia intercalary, nearly superficial, pyriform, acute, c. 700 µm diam. Internal tissue white, solid. Asci 120-160 µm total length x 11-15 µm, sporiferous part 87-100 µm, cylindrical, ring J+, wedge-shaped, 3-4 µm wide x 5 µm high; 8-spored, ascospores diagonally arranged with overlapping ends. Ascospores 16-17(-19) x 7.0-8.0(-8.5) µm, broadly elliptical in top view, shaped like an orange segment when seen laterally, dark brown, barely transparent; slit full length, straight, parallel to long axis of the ascospore.
CHARACTERISTICS IN CULTURE: Colonies grown 2 weeks at 18-20°C, 12 h darkness/ 12 h near ultra-violet + cool white fluorescent light on OA 4 cm, flat with scant, cottony, pale salmon aerial mycelium. Stromata eventually forming, few to numerous, 1-1.5 cm long x 3-5 mm diam., acute and slim or obtuse and wider, remaining salmon coloured and sterile.

DISTRIBUTION: SOUTH ISLAND: Westland.

HABITAT: On decaying leaves of Astelia sp.

NOTE: This species is morphologically very similar to X. cf. filiformis but differs in the dimensions of its ascospores and ascal ring, and in characteristics of its colonies.