K(M)235243. Stevenson 923, Woodside, 1/7/1953. The specimen micro-structure is hard to reconcile with Horak's drawings. The subpellis consist of extremely thick-walled hyaline hyphae with a narrow lumen and broad clamps. The central pellis of relatively few hymeniderm cells with pale brown plasmatic content but without ornamentation of any kind. The collection has been split into two packets and the caps in both packets show the same structure. The lamellar edge of parallel hyphae with perhaps occasional hymeniform cells similar to the cap, without ornamentation. 4-spored and sterigma conspicuous and curved. The specimen is covered in spores of a Laccaria. Either Egon was examining a different specimen, or in preparing a squash the Laccaria spores have 'integrated' into the tissue and the drawing indicates some license in drawing connecting tissues. None of the cystidia have clear diverticulae. The hyaline inamyloid spores measure 9.0µm (µ=7.7, σ=0.51), width=2.8–3.7µm (µ=3.2, σ=0.27), Q=2.2–2.8µm (µ=2.39, σ=0.17), n=20. Horak's measurement of the spores does not agree with the type. My interpretaion of this species is verified.

Material examined. - NEW ZEALAND: North Island, Prov. Taranaki, Mt. Egmont N.P., Stratford Lodge, 12 VI 1968, Horak 68-536 (ZT; on W. racemosa).- South Island, Prov. Otago, Dunedin, Woodside, 1 VII 1953, Morrison in Stevenson 923 (Holotype, K); Prov. Southland, Te Anau, 1 III 1983, Horak 1931 (SFSU, ZT); Prov. Westland, Ahaura, Kopara, Nelson Creek, 17 II 968, Horak 68-25 (ZT); Prov. Nelson, Lake Rotoroa, 24 I 1969, Horak 69-12 (SFSU, ZT).

Pi1eus 10-35 mm diam, convex when young, expanding with age to planoconvex with a flat to depressed disc; margin conspicuously striate to plicate, incurved; surface dull, dry, minutely pruinose to fibrillose; dark brown to pale reddish brown overall when young, sometimes with a yellowish brown tone, fading in age or with moisture loss to pinkish fawn. Texture membranaceous, tough; context thin, white.- Lamellae broadly adnate to subdecurrent, subdistant (16-20) with 2-3 series of lamellulae, broad (up to 3.5 mm), cream to apricot or pale reddish brown; edges fimbriate, concolorous.- Stipe7-30 x 1-2 mm, central or occasionally eccentric, cylindrical, equal or with a flared apex, curved, fistulose, tough, apex minutely pruinose, glabrous elsewhere, insititious; pale reddish brown to dark reddish brown or black overall; rhizomorphs absent.- Odor and taste not distinctive.
Basidiospores 4.0-5.5(-6.5) x 2.0-3.0 µm, ellipsoid, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline, inamyloid-. Basidia 20-35 x 4-5 µm, cylindrical to subclavate, 4-spored, clamped.- Cheilocystidia abundant, 20-40(-50) x 818(-24) µm, clavate to broadly clavate or irregular in outline, hyaline, thin-walled, with few, scattered, apical knob-like diverticula, 1-4 x 1-3 µm.Pleurocystidia absent.- Pileipellis subhymeniform over the disc, a cutis towards the margin; terminal cells 20-50 x 10-26 µm , clavate to irregular in outline, erect, suberect or repent, diverticulate, hyaline, thin-walled, inamyloid; diverticula 1-4 x 1-3 µm , knob-like, hyaline.- Pi1ea1 trama of loosely interwoven hyphae; hyphae cylindrical to sinous, non-gelatinized, hya line, inamyloid, very thick-walled, some with nearly no lumen.- Stipe tissue monomitic; cortical hyphae cylindrical, roughened or with short diverticula, thin-walled, dextrinoid; medullary hyphae, thin-walled to thick-walled, dextrinoid.- Cau1ocystidia 25-55 x 7-16 µm, polymorphic, similar to cheilocystidia, rare at stipe apex, clavate to sphaeropedunculate, hyaline, thinwalled to moderately thick-walled.

Habit, habitat and distribution.- Solitary, ingroups on mossy bark of Nothofagus spp. (N. fucua, N. menziesii; Fagaceae) or Weinmannia racemosa (Cunoniaceae). New Zealand.

Marasmius otagoensis has the aspect and coriaceous texture of a Micromphale species, but the non-gelatinized tramal tissues, subhymeniform pileipellis with clavate terminal cells and scattered diverticula, and dextrinoid stipe tissues indicate placement in Marasmius sect. Androsacei. Stevenson (1964) reported the basidiospores as measuring 7-10 x 3 µm . Our analysis of the holotype specimen indicate that the basidiospores are much smaller, measuring 4.5-6.5 x 2.0-2.5 µm , with only a few longer spores (up to 9.0 µm) possibly from 2-spored basidia. The species is fairly common growing on moss covered bark of Nothofagus.

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

Pileus 1.5-2.2 cm diam., pinkish fawn with darker radial striations, plano-convex with a broad shallow umbilicus, smooth, dull; flesh thin, fawn. Gills adnate, creamy, moderately distant. Stipe 10-15 x 1-2 mm, reddish brown, tapering to base, tough. Spores 7-10 x 3 µm, non-amyloid, thin-walled. Hymenophoral trama non-amyloid with some thick-walled hyphae. Cuticle cellular, weakly pseudo-amyloid.

In forest litter, Woodside, 1.7.1953, M. Morrison in Stevenson (type).

Pileus 1.5-2.2 cm diam., puniceo-hinnuleus, intensius radiatim striatus, plano-convexus, late et haud alte umbilicatus, laevis, obscurus; came tenui hinnulea. Lamellae adnatae, cremeae, modice distantes. Stipes 10-15 x 1-2 mm rubido-brunneus, basin versus attenatus, tenax. Sporae 7-10 x 3µm haud amyloideae, parietibus tenuibus. Trama hymenophoralis haud amyloidea, hyphis nonnullis parietibus crassis praeditis. Cuticula cellularis, aegre pseudo-amyloidea.

Typus: M. Morrison in Stevenson 923.