ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED: NORTH ISLAND: AUCKLAND: Henderson, Mountain Road, Walker Bush Track, on dead wood (monocotyledonous), 13 Dec 1973, W. B. Kendrick, PDD 40453; Te Morehu Scenic Reserve, between Kawakawa Bay and Orere Point, on Cyathea medullaris, 25 Jun 1980, G. J. Samuels, P. R. Johnston, & M. E. Lanigan, PDD 49657, culture on OA, PDA; vic. Kawakawa Bay, Te Morehu Scenic Reserve, on Cyathea medullaris, 4 Dec 1980, G. J. Samuels, M. E. Lanigan, P. R. Johnston, & M Rattray, PDD 49707, culture on CMD; Waitakere Ranges, Marguerite Track, on Cyathea medullaris, 27 Sep 1997, G. J. Samuels, Y. Joe,&P. R. Johnston, PDD 40013; Waitakere Ranges, Cascades, on rachis of Cyathea dealbata, 12 Aug 1981, G. J. Samuels, P. R. Johnston, & J. W. Paden, PDD 41986; Waitakere Ranges, Piha Road, Cowan Trail, on Dicksonia squarrosa, 4 Jun 1983, G. J. Samuels & A. Y. Rossman, PDD 46320, cultures on OA, CMD; Waitakere Ranges, Huia, on Cyathea medullaris, 26 Mar 1981, G. J. Samuels, P. R. Johnston, J. M. Dingley,&H. Thiers, PDD 49615, culture on CMD; Waitemata City, Titirangi, Clarke's Bush, on Cyathea medullaris, 19 Apr 1979, G. J. Samuels, W. Versluys, P. R. Johnston, & Y. Joe, PDD 39481, culture on PDA; Waitemata City, Titirangi, Clarke's Bush, on Cyathea dealbata, 3 May 1979, G. J. Samuels, E. H. C. McKenzie, P. R. Johnston, & Y. Joe, PDD 39482; c. 15 km south of Wellsford, Waiwhiu Valley, on rachis of Cyathea medullaris, 6 Jun 1981, G. J. Samuels, P. R. Johnston, & E. Horak, PDD 41975. COROMANDEL: vic. Thames, Kauaeranga Valley, on Cyathea dealbata, Apr 1980, G. J. Samuels&W. B. Kendrick, PDD 49681, culture on OA. NORTHLAND: Hokianga Co., Puketi State Forest, Loop Track from Forest Headquarters, on Dicksonia squarrosa, 2 Jun 1982, G. J. Samuels & P. R. Johnston, PDD 44414; North Cape, Te Paki Coastal Reserve, Pandora, on Cyathea sp., 7 Feb 1975, J. C. Watt & G. J. Samuels, PDD 37128; vic. Mangamuka Bridge, Omahuta State Forest, No. 3 Road, Waikoropupu R., on Cyathea medullaris, 15 May 1981, G. J. Samuels & E. Horak, PDD 49473, culture on OA; vic. Mangamuka Bridge, Omahuta State Forest, No. 3 Road, Waikoropupu River, on Cyathea medullaris, 15 May 1981, G. J. Samuels & E. Horak, PDD 49482. WAIKATO: Mt Pirongia, on Cyathea dealbata, 7 Jul 1977, G. J. Samuels, C. E. Samuels, & R. Ferguson, PDD 47529; Waitomo Caves, on Dicksonia squarrosa, 26 Apr 1983, G. J. amuels, P. R. Johnston, & R. H. Petersen, PDD 45465.

Stromata (350)485 ± 70(700) µm high, (400)553 ± 82(775) µm wide (n = 95), developing as small pegs below the epidermis, breaking through while growing, later seen as protuberances on the adult stroma, soon breaking off, globose to semiglobose, cupulate, black, lower part rugose with small cracks, more pronounced in older material, soft, leathery, solitary or densely crowded, forming small groups. Ostioles finely to coarsely papillate, sometimes ampulliform, rarely seating in a disk, up to 175 µm diam. Ectostroma less than 25 µm thick, black, completely adhering to the entostroma. Entostroma white, soft, absent in old material. Perithecia remaining tightly attached to the entostromata. Ascus apical rings (1.9)2.3 ± 0.4(3.3) µm high, upper width 2.4-3.8 µm, lower width 1.9-2.8 µm (n = 54), without bulge at upper margin, J+, pale blue. Ascospores (9.6)15.3 ± 1(18.2) µm long, (5.8)6.7 ± 0.4(8.2) µm wide (n = 377), ellipsoidal to inaequilateral ellipsoidal, brown to dark brown, with sigmoid or straight germ slit; one minute, 0.5-1 x 0.5-1 µm, semiglobose, cellular appendage present on some mature spores.
Cultures on OA after 25 to 30 days at 20°C under 12 h dark and 12 h UV and fluorescent light 8-9 cm diam., white at the margin, composed of short hyphae, otherwise with dark olivaceous black stromatic areas bearing upright stromata up to 350 µm high and 300 µm, brown at base, white to pink towards top, sterile or with conidiophores on upper parts, sometimes concentric rings of growth. Conidiophores up to 100 µm long, 5 µm wide, compact, interwoven to form tight and uniform 40-50 µm high palisades arising from a small-celled pseudoparenchymatous base, irregularly dichotomously branched, ultimate cell conidiogenous, smooth, subhyaline, pale tan towards the base. Conidiogenous cells 9-15 x 3 µm (n = 16), polyblastic, cylindrical, terminal, integrated, denticulate with a thin-walled separating cell, rupturing across the middle and leaving a minute circular refractive frill at each point of conidial dehiscence. Conidia 5-7.5 x 2-3 µm (n = 66), clavate to elliptic with a broad tip and a truncate 0.5- 1 µm wide base bearing a minute refractive frill, smooth, subhyaline. On CMD after 25 days under same conditions, 4-5 cm diam., white, transparent, without aerial mycelium, occasionally some immersed, discrete, brown stromal masses with conidial production or remaining sterile at all. Conidiophores formed on sporodochial structures, 50-70 µm long, poor, characters as on OA. On PDA after 30 days under same conditions, 8.5-9 cm diam., flat, cottony, white, with brown stromatic pustules breaking through the agar surface, becoming tubercular, discrete, sterile, composed of broad filaments arranged in palisades or bearing conidiophores and conidia, powdery, white, characters as on OA.
ANAMORPH: Unnamed coremium.

HOSTS: Cyathea dealbata, Cyathea medullaris, Cyathea sp., Dicksonia squarrosa.
MATRIX: Rachides.

Stromata (350)485 ± 70(700) µm alta, (400)553 ± 82(775) µm lata, sub epidermide ut minuta strobila formantia, erumpentia dum crescentia, strobilis dein in stromate formato insidentibus citoque disrumpentibus, globosa vel semiglobosa, cupulata, nigra, parte inferiori rugosa minutis fissuris in vetustis speciminibus distinctioribus praedita, mollia, coriacea, solitaria ad dense gregaria, greges parvos formantia. Ostiola minute ad grosse papillata, interdum ampulliformia, raro in disco ad 175 µm diametro insita. Ectostroma ad 25 µm crassum, nigrum, entostromati omnino adhaerens. Annulus apicalis asci (1.9)2.3 ± 0.4(3.3) µm altus, parte superiore 2.4-3.8 µm et inferiore 1.9-2.8 µm latus, margine superiori non protuberanti, iodo pallide coerulescenti. Ascosporae (9.6)15.3 ± 1(18.2) µm longae, (5.8)6.7 ± 0.4(8.2) µm latae, ellipsoideae ad asymmetrice ellipsoideae, brunneae ad atrobrunneae, fissura germinativa recta vel sigmoidea. Cellularis semiglobosa appendix 0.5-1 0.5-1 µm magna in nonnullis ascoporis adest.

ETYMOLOGY: Refers to the geographical origin, in New Zealand.
NOTES: Stilbohypoxylon novae-zelandiae shows the typical stromatal features of the genus such as a thin, soft, leathery ectostroma with a persistent, white entostroma and an attached peridium (Fig. 30H). In young material the anamorph-bearing structures can be observed as white to pink pegs directly on the host or on the stroma (Fig. 30A,B). On OA, anamorphic structures were readily produced.
This species seems to be specific on pteridophytes, Cyathea spp. being the preferred hosts. Pteridophytes, especially tree ferns, as hosts are remarkable for this species, as they have not previously been recorded as substrates for xylariaceous fungi (Rogers 1979). Ju & Rogers (1999) reported this species previously as
Stilbohypoxylon sp. In addition to material from New Zealand, this species is recorded from Taiwan and Venezuela on palm fronds.
Stilbohypoxylon novae-zelandiae has ascospores of a similar size as those of S. moelleri, but the ascospores of the former species have a cellular appendage and a sigmoid germ slit whereas those of the latter have slimy caps and a straight germ slit. Stromata of S. mölleri are larger and less aggregated. Other described species of Stilbohypoxylon (S. quisquiliarum and S. samuelsii J.D.Rogers & Y.M.Ju) have larger stromata and ascospores than S. novae-zelandiae (Rogers & Ju 1997). S. novaezelandiae has a similar anamorph as described for S. moelleri and S. quisquiliarum (Rogers & Ju 1997).

HOLOTYPUS (hic designatus): New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Waitemata City, Titirangi, Clarke's Bush, G. J. Samuels, W. Versluys, P. R. Johnston, & Y. Joe, 19 Apr 1979, PDD 39480; PARATYPUS (hic designatus): Waitakere Ranges, Cascades, on Cyathea dealbata, 9 Mar 1981, G. J.Samuel & P. R. Johnston, PDD 49602, cultures on OA, PDA.