Holotype (PDD 27078); Isotype (Herb. HK. ZT 68/200): 'Red Jack Valley, Ngahere, Prov. Westcoast, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 21.III.1969'. - Herb. HK. ZT 69/159: 'Ulva Island, Stewart Island, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 23.III.1969'.

Pileus 20-45 mm diam., conical when young becoming conico-convex or campanulate, radially splitting, pink, glabrous, dry, not striated. Lamellae adnexed or slightly emarginate-adnexed, pink, ventricose, gill edge concolorous, occasionally serrate. Stipe 35-80 x 4-6 mm, cylindric, equal, pink, dry, glabrous, hollow fragile, single. Context whitish. Odor and taste not distinctive. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH and HCl- negative. Spores 6.5-7.4-5 µm, ovoid, smooth, inamyloid. Basidia 28-40 x 7-8 µm, 4-spored. Cystidia absent. Cuticle consisting of repent, cylindric, not gelatinized hyphae (1-4 µm diam.) forming a cutis. Clamp connections absent.

In soil under Podocarpus, Dacrydium, Weinmannia, etc. New Zealand.

Pileo 20-45 mm lato, conico dein convexo-campanulato, roseo, sicco, glabro. Lamellis adnexis vel subadnatis, roseis. Stipite 35-80 x 4-6 mm, cylindrico, pileo concolori, sicco, cavo, fragili. Sporis 6.5-7 x 4-5 µm, ovoideis. Cystidiis nullis. Epicute ex hyphis cylindraceis repentibusque cutem formantibus. Septis defibulatis. Ad terram in silvis virgineis. Novazelandia.

This species is close to H. mavis (Stev.) from which it is distinguished by its pink colour and the smaller spores. Both species are similar in habit and lack clamp connections.

Holotypus (PDD 27078): 'Red Jack Valley, Ngahere, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 21.III.1968'.

SPECIMENS: NZ: NA, Waipoua, Yakas Track, ZT 1133. - STI, Ulva Island, ZT 69/159.

Pileus -60 mm, conical becoming conico-convex or papillate-campanulate, radially splitting towards margin; pink, fading with age to isabelline-white; dry, glabrous or innately fibrillose to silky, non-striate margin. - Lamellae 20-26 (1-3) adnexed or almost free to emarginate-adnexed, ventricose, up to 7 mm wide; pink, edges concolorous, entire or sometimes serrate. - Stipe 35-80 x 4-8 mm, cylindrical, equal or subfusoid; pink; dry, glabrous to minutely fibrillose, waxy, hollow, fragile, single. - Context whitish, brittle. - Odour and taste not distinctive. - Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH and HCI - negative. Spores 6.5-8 x 4-5 um, ovoid. - Basidia 28-40 x 6-8 um, -4 spored, with conspicuous medallion-like clamp connection at basal septum. - Cystidia absent - Pileipellis a cutis of repent cylindrical hyphae (2-4 um diam.), hyaline membrane not gelatinised, occasionally encrusted with pigment, sometimes with oleiferous vessels in subcutis; clamp connections absent on septa of cuticular hyphae (Pl. 1, Fig. 8).

DISTRIBUTION: NZ (NA, WL, STI).

ECOLOGY: Scattered; saprobic on soil among litter in broadleaved-conifer forests (Weinmannia, Metrosideros, Quintinia, Dacrydium, Agathis, Podocarpus). March-June.

ICON. Horak (1973: 133)

Humidicutis rosella is distinguished by its permanently pink-coloured basidiomes. Only in aged and weathered specimens does the pink tint fade to whitish and then this taxon can be readily confused with the closely related H. pura (Peck) Horak.

TYPE: NZ: WL, Ngahere, Red Jack Valley, under Dacrydium-Metrosideros-Quintinia), 21 iii 1968, Horak, PDD 27078.