OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: NORTH ISLAND: NORTHLAND: Whangaruru, North Head Scenic Reserve, R. E. Beever, 19 Dec 1984, PDD 55424.AUCKLAND: West Auckland, Goldie Bush, Mokoroa Falls track, R. E. Beever, 1 Jan 1993, PDD 61991. COROMANDEL: Little Barrier Island, Summit Track, E. P. Laracy, 15 Jun 1984, PDD 55426. SOUTH ISLAND: BULLER: Murchison, Matakitaki Scenic Reserve, R. E. Beever 1524, 29 Mar 1996, PDD 65743.

Basidiomata 12-19 x 10-16 mm, subglobose to slightly irregular. Peridial surface dry, smooth, with some shallow pitting, initially off-white to pale brown then dark brown with the lower peridium whitish streaking dark in some basidiomata. Some basidiomata with powdery texture to peridium, powder rubbing off easily. Gleba off-white to ivory initially blackening with age, loculate, chambers small, crowded, regular in size and shape. Stipe absent or present as small exserted basal pad, 1-2 mm long x 1-2 mm wide, white. Columella sometimes present as thin translucent strand, 1-2 mmwide, percurrent or not. Odour sharp, of acetylene, and taste mild, not distinctive. Latex absent. Peridiopellis 60-165 µm wide, a trichodermium of septate, inflated hyphae 3-8.5 µm diam., appearing as a layer of irregularly shaped cells 45-80 µm wide, extending into a dense to patchy turf of upright to repent, septate, brown-walled hyphae, 25-85 µm wide, with terminal cells 4-13 x 3-11 µm, elongated clavate, cylindrical, obvate or pyriform. Peridial context 40-110 µm wide, of interwoven, hyaline hyphae 2-4 µm diam. Sphaerocysts and endocystidia absent. Hymenophoral trama 23-39 µm wide, of interwoven, inflated, hyaline hyphae 2-6.5 µm diam., sphaerocysts absent. Subhymenium 13-21 µm wide, of branched hyphae with some inflated cells forming 1-3 tiers of irregular cells 5-11 µm diam. Basidia 24-39 x 6-12 µm, hyaline, clavate to cylindrical, with 2 robust sterigmata 4-8 µm long x 1-2.5 µm wide. Cystidia absent. Spores 8-10.9 x 8-10.4 µm (9.89 ± 0.26 x 9.5 ± 0.31), Q = 1.02-1.05, globose, orthotropic. Ornamentation amyloid, crowded, of fine, isolated spines 0.8-2 µm high. Hilar appendix small, hyaline, central; plage absent. Spore colour in mass white.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION: Hypogeous, in small clusters under leaf litter in Leptospermum scopariumscrub and Nothofagus truncatus or N. fusca forest. Fruiting period Dec-Jan, Jun.

Gasterocarpus 12-19 x 10-16 mm, subglobosus vel irregularis. Peridium initio album deine brunneum. Gleba albida vel ebernea, in maturitas denigricans, loculata. Stipes nullus; columella nulla vel interdum percurrens, albida. Peridiopellis trichodermium ex hyphis inflatus 3-8.5 µm latis subter caespite ex cellulis terminalis erectis vel repentibus, 4-13 x 3-11 µm compositum. Basidia 24-37 x 7-12 µm, 2 sporigera. Cystidia nulla. Sporae 8-10.5 x 8-10.2 µm, globosae, spinis aggregatis ad ± 1 µm altis amyloidibus ornatis.

HOLOTYPUS (hic designatus): New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, West Auckland, Goldie Bush, Mokoroa Falls track, R. E. Beever 1306, 1 Jan 1992, PDD 61990.