Holotype (PDD 27073); Isotype (Herb. HK. ZT 69/199): 'Denton Range, NE of Te Anau, Prov. Southland, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 30.III.1969'.

Pileus 5-10 mm diam., hemispherical when young becoming plano-convex, estriate margin always inrolled, slate grey with faint lilac tinge, dry, hygrophanous, minutely fibrillose. Lamellae arcuate to decurrent, concolorous with pileus, distant, gill edge concolorous, even. Stipe 15-30 x 2-3 mm cylindric, equal, whitish or greyish, dry, longitudinally fibrillose, stuffed, mostly single. Context greyish. Taste and odor not distinctive. Chemical reactions on Pileus: KOH, HCl and NH3 - negative. Spores 5.5-7 x 4-4.5 µm, ovoid, smooth, inamyloid. Basidia 42-50 x 7 µm, 4-spored. Cystidia absent. Gill trama interwoven. Cuticle a cutis consisting of repent, irregularly arranged, cylindric, not gelatinized hyphae (2-6 µm diam.). Clamp connections present.

On soil amongst mosses under Leptospermum scoparium (and Nothofagus cliffortioides). New Zealand.

Pileo 5-10 mm lato, ex hemisphaerico plano-convexo, griseo-cano, sicco, minute fibrilloso. Lamellis arcuatis, pileo concoloribus, distantibus. Stipite 15-30 x 2-3 mm, cylindrico ex albo griseo, sicco. Sporis 5.5-7 x 4-4.5 µm, ovatis. Cystidiis nullis. Epicute ex hyphis (3-7 latis) repentibus, pigmento incrustatis cutem formantibus. Ad terram in silvis. Novazelandia.

The grey to lilac or violaceous drab colour of C. canus Hk. reminds of H. subviolaceus Peck (see Hesler & Smith 1963: 62) but its dry cuticle, the smaller size of the carpophores and its habitat distinctly separate these two fungi.

Holotypus (PDD 27073): 'Denton Range, Te Anau, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 30.III. 1969'.

Pileus -10 mm, hemispherical to convex becoming plano-convex, non-striate margin always inrolled, slate grey with faint lilac tinge; dry, minutely fibrillose, hygrophanous. - lamellae arcuate to decurrent rather distant, concolorous with pileus edges entire. - stipe 15-30 x 2-3 mm, cylindrical, equal, rather stout; whitish to pale grey; dry, 1ongitudinally fibrillose, stuffed, single or caespitose. - Context pale grey, not waxy. - Odour and taste not distinctive. - Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH, HCI and NH₃ - negative. Spores 5.5-7 x 4-4.5 um, ovoid. - Basidia 42-50 x 6-7 um, 4-spored –Cystidia absent- Pileipellis  a cutis of interwoven, cylindrical hyphae (2-6 um diam.), membrane not gelatinised, minutely encrusted with pigment, clamp connections present (Pl. 1, Fig. 5).

DISTRIBUTION: NZ (SL).

ECOLOGY: Rare; saprobic on soil among litter of Leptospermum-Nothofagus. March.

 ICON.: Horak (1973: 120).

TYPE: NZ: SL, Te Anau, Dunton Range, under Leptospermum scoparium and Nothofagus solandri var cliffortioides, 30 iii 1969, Horak, PDD 27073.