ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: NORTHLAND: Bay of Islands, Ngaiotonga Range, Russell Rd, 700 ft, on Metrosideros robusta, J. M. Dingley, Jun 1948, PDD 6652; vic. Brynderwyn, farmland adjacent State Highway 1, P. K. Buchanan & L. Ryvarden, 12 Apr 1995, PDD 66315; Waipoua, on wood, J. M. Dingley, 20 Jan 1955, PDD 15503. AUCKLAND: Hula, sea level, on Leptospermum scoparium, E. E. Chamberlain, 24 Jan 1956, PDD 17379; Hunua Ranges, Mangatawhiri Stream, on Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, J. M. Dingley, 13 Jul 1946, PDD 4876; Hunua Ranges, Moumoukai, Mangatawhiri Valley, on D. dacrydioides, J. M. Dingley, 13 Jul 1946, PDD 5060; Hunua Ranges, Moumoukai Valley, on Metrosideros robusta, J M. Dingley, Jun 1949, PDD 6730. COROMANDEL: Little Barrier I., Lower Thumb Track, on Kunzea ericoides, P. K Buchanan, 13 Jun 1984, PDD 50499. BAY OF PLENTY: Lake Okataina Scenic Reserve, Ngahopua, on wood, P. K. Buchanan & L. Ryvarden, 6 Apr 1995, PDD 66313. SOUTHLAND, Catlins, near Tautuku Beach, on Metrosideros umbellata, J. M. Dingley, 19 Jan 1957, PDD 17326. STEWART ISLAND: Ryan's Creek, on Metrosideros perforata, J. M. Dingley, 20 Feb 1954, PDD 13461.

Basidiocarps perennial, pileate (triquetrous to ungulate), effused-reflexed, or resupinate, woody hard, when pileate typically with narrow pileus over effused tube layer, to 16 cm across, 4 cm radius, 6.5 cm deep, typically of greater depth than radius; when resupinate to 13 x 6 cm and of irregular shape; pileus surface when old glabrous, concentrically sulcate with distinct crust, black, sometimes cracking when drying, towards margin and in younger basidiocarps yellow-brown (77.m.y Br) and velutinate due to projecting setal hyphae; pore surface deep umber brown (62.d.gy.Br); sterile margin 1-3 mm wide, yellow-brown (76.1y Br) and distinctly paler than pores, with projecting setal hyphae; pore surface in actively growing basidiocarps may also be yellow-brown (80.gy.y Br); pores circular, 6-7 per mm, with rather thin dissepiments; tubes stratified though separate strata sometimes indistinct, to 55 mm deep with individual strata to 10 mm, recent layers concolorous with pore surface, older layers paler and in parts filled with white mycelium, successive layers of tubes sometimes receding. Cortex prominent at both pileus surface and at junction with substrate, black, to 1 mm thick, shining when cut, composed of dense tissue of skeletal and setal hyphae orientated perpendicular to outer surface; context yellow-brown, mostly thin in resupinate specimens, more developed in pileate basidiocarps where up to 15 mm thick, growth mostly radial, zonate due to concentric bands of setal hyphae. Hyphal system dimitic; generative hyphae thin-walled, hyaline, simple septate, 2-3 µm diam. in trama, in context of young basidiocarps more variable, 2.5-5.5 µm, sometimes inflated to 7.5 µm and with contorted, multi-branched elements, in older context mostly collapsed and seen only at junction with skeletal hyphae; skeletal hyphae in trama yellow to pale reddish brown and with wide lumen, running more or less parallel to tube walls, 2-3.5 µm wide, those of the context darker, 2.5-4(-5) µm diam., with wall thickened to 1 µm, and with sparse adventitious septa. Setal hyphae abundant in cortex, context, and trama, also projecting at pileus surface of young basidiocarps and at margin; dark red-brown and contrasting against paler surrounding tissues, with strongly thickened wall, sharply pointed apex and gradually tapering base; in basidiocarps peeled away from substrate, setal hyphae of context have the appearance of an adpressed strigose layer with hyphae 170-600 x 13-22 µm; in lower parts of context typically shorter, to 450 µm long; in trama as tramal setae, mostly parallel to the tube walls, but occasionally obliquely projecting into and beyond hymenium, 85-145 x 7-15 µm, at the dissepiment much smaller, acuminate to ventricose, 15-40 µm long. Hymenial setae rare in older basidiocarps where they may be confined to near dissepiments, in younger basidiocarps mostly sparsely scattered or with scattered groups of setae, dark brown, acute, ventricose to subulate and tapering, up to 35 µm long, often bent at the base with an elongated foot and apparently with transitions to the tramal setae. Cystidioles present amongst basidia though in older basidiocarps only seen towards dissepiments, lageniform, with an elongate apical region, 11-23(-37) x 3.5-4.5 µm. Basidia subglobose, sometimes oblong, 4-sterigmate, simple-septate at the base, 9-13 x 6-9 pm. Basidiosporas globose to subglobose, hyaline when young, soon becoming thick-walled, wall to 0.8 µm thick, pale brown, smooth, IKI-, 5-7.5(-8.5) x 4.5-7(-7.5) µm. Causing a white wood rot.

New Zealand, in northern and southern regions and probably widespread throughout the country.

SUBSTRATA: Most collections on dead wood of hardwoods: Kunzea, Leptospermum, and Metrosideros. Less often recorded on softwoods: Dacrycarpus.

Basidiocarpi perennes, pileati, effuso-reflexi vet resupinati, ligneo-duri, usque 16 cm in transversum, 4 cm radio, 6.5 cm profunditate; superficies pori pure umbrino-brunnea; pori circulares, 6-7 per mm; tubi usque 55 mm profunditate. Cortex niger, usque 1 mm crassus, ubi sectus nitens; contextus luteofuscus, zonatus. Systema hyphale dimiticum; hyphae genitales tenuitunicatae hyalinae, simplici-septatae, in trama 2-3 µm diametro, in contextu 2.5-5.5(-7.5) µm; hyphae skeletales in trama 2-3.5 µm latae, in contextu 2.5-4(-5) µm diametro. Hyphae setales in cortice, contextu et trama abundantes, 170-600 x 13-22 µm. Setae hymeniales rarae vel dispersae, usque 35 pm longae. Basidia subglobosa, interdum oblonga, 4-sterigmatophora, basi simplici-septata, 9-13 x 6-9 µm. Cystidiola lageniformia, in apice elongata, 11-23(-37) x 3.5-4.5 µm. Basidiosporae globosae vel subglobosae, sub juventute hyalinae, pariete usque 0.8 µm crasso, brunneolo, laevi, IKI-, 5-7.5(-8.5) x 4.5-7(-7.5) µm. Cariem albam efficiens.

ETYMOLOGY: dingleyae, named after Dr Joan M. Dingley, eminent New Zealand mycologist and plant pathologist, and collector of several specimens of this species.
NOTES: Cunningham (1965) recorded this species as Phellinus pachyphloeus (Pat.) Pat., a close relative of P. dingleyae which shares features of setal hyphae, small pores, and pale brown spores. However, P. pachyphloeus is usually distinctly pileate and applanate of large dimensions (sometimes exceeding 0.5 m across), with smaller pores 8-10 per mm, abundant hymenial setae, and smaller, thin-walled, subglobose to ellipsoid spores (4.5-6 x 4-5.5 µm, Fidalgo 1968 and Ryvarden & Johansen 1980; 3.3-4.9 x 2.7-4.1 µm, Dai 1999), and is considered to be absent from New Zealand. Fidalgo (1968) reported that most herbarium specimens of P. pachyphloeus are sterile, whereas all collections of P. dingleyae examined have abundant spores. P. dingleyae occurs on both hard- and softwood hosts, although the collections on the softwood Dacrycarpus typically have larger spores (6.5-8.5 x 5.5-7.5 µm) than collections on other hosts. P. pachyphloeus may be confined to hardwoods, since records of its occurrence on softwoods (Fidalgo 1968) are based on Australasian collections recorded by Cunningham (1965) and Simmonds (1939). Sharma (1995) noted that in India the species has never been collected on conifers.
At present, we cannot confirm distribution of P. dingleyae beyond New Zealand. Collections cited as P. pachyphloeus by Cunningham (1965) are heterogeneous. While most are P. dingleyae, other species of Phellinus are represented (e.g., PDD 12995 from Western Australia). Collections from New South Wales, Australia (Cunningham 1965), could not be located in PDD, and the Australian collections recorded by Simmonds (1939) on Araucaria and Agathis have not been examined. With the exclusion of Cunningham's Australasian records, the distribution of P. pachyphloeus appears to be tropical to subtropical (Fidalgo 1968).
P. dingleyae is distinguished from other Phellinus species with setal hyphae or tramal setae, rare hymenial setae, and coloured spores (Larsen & Cobb-Poulle 1990) by the combination of the black, glabrous, narrow pilei, small pores, and dark brown pore surface, and microscopically by the very abundant setal hyphae that project strongly in younger parts of basidiocarps, and globose, pale brown, thick-walled spores. Basidiocarps are very variable in shape, from ungulate to resupinate. The Asian species P. hoehnelii (Bres.) Ryvarden has larger pores (3-4 per mm) and mostly thin-walled spores, while P. poeltii Ryvarden from Nepal has shorter and narrower setal hyphae (e.g., 75-115 x 4-6 µm in context) and darker, slightly smaller spores (Ryvarden & Johansen 1980; Larsen & CobbPoulle 1990; Dai 1999). No species with features similar to P. dingleyae was recorded from Argentina and the surrounding region in the survey of Phellinus by Wright & Blumenfeld (1984).

HOLOTYPUS: New Zealand, Northland, Bay of Islands, Opua Forest, Oromahoe Rd, Kauri Track, on Kunzea ericoides, P.K. Buchanan 95/150 & L. Ryvarden 37433, 12 Apr 1995 (PDD 66860; 0 - isotype).