SPECIMENS EXAMINED: SOUTH ISLAND: NELSON: Kahurangi National Park, Flora Saddle, track to Mt Arthur Hut, R. E. Beever, 24 Mar 1996, PDD 65756; Kahurangi National Park, Flora Saddle, track to Mt Arthur Hut, R. E. Beever, 24 Mar 1996, PDD 65755; Kahurangi National Park, Flora Saddle, track to Mt Arthur Hut, R. E. Beever, 24 Mar 1992, PDD 65754; Karamea, Umere, R. F. R. McNabb, 4 Jan 1970, PDD 31427; Karamea, Umere, R. F. R. McNabb, 26 Dec 1969, PDD 31426; Karamea, Umere, R. F. R.McNabb, 8 Jan 1969, PDD 28016; Karamea, Umere,R. F. R. McNabb, 8 Jan 1969, PDD 31425; Taffytown, Karamea Rd, R. F. R. McNabb, 10 May 1971, PDD 31429; Granite Creek, Karamea, R. F. R. McNabb, 12 May 1971, PDD 31430; Karamea, Lake Hanlon Track, R. F. R. McNabb, 11 May 1971, PDD 31428.BULLER: Murchison, Matakitaki Bridge Scenic Reserve, Skyline Track, S. R. Pennycook and M. R.Davis, 15 May 1999, PDD 70834. WESTLAND: Mt Aspiring National Park, Pyke Creek, P. K. Buchanan 89/086, 8 May 1989, PDD 59563.

Basidiomata 30-60 mm diam., hemispherical to depressed-globose with strongly involute margins when young, centrally depressed with involute margins at maturity, stipitate. Pileal surface slightly viscid, glabrous to slightly pruinose, bright carmine red to madder red, red pigment leaching under wet conditions. Context white, firm, unchanging with age. Gleba chalk white, sublamellate to labyrinthine, attached to apex of stipe-columella, convoluted glebal plates radiating from stipe-columella to margin, forming narrow locules exposed at lower margin of pileus. Stipe 25-65 x 8-18 mm, more or less equal, or slightly tapered at base, solid to hollowed, dry, faintly longitudinally striate, surface and context chalk white. Columella percurrent, simple, white. Odour and taste mild. Latex absent. Chemical characters: formalin on context, no reaction; phenol on context, slowly deep vinaceous; FeSO4 on context, no reaction; guaicol on stipe columella base, no reaction; KOH on peridium, bleaching action on red colour leaving pallid orange area; on context, faint yellow; NH4OH on peridium, faint purplish flush; context, no reaction. Pileipellis 92-155 µm wide, a trichodermium palisade composed of short, filamentous, septate, thin-walled, hyaline hyphae 3-5 µm diam., arising from connective hyphae or inflated cells 14-29 µm diam.; terminal cells with bluntly acuminate, rounded, or occasionally inflated apices, trichodermium becoming disorganised with age and somewhat gelatinised. Pileus context 70-110 µm wide, heteromerous, composed of interwoven, hyaline hyphae 2-3.5 µm diam. and abundant sphaerocysts 12-29 µm diam. in nests. Endocystidia absent. Stipitipellis composed of interwoven hyphae 2.5-4.5 µm diam., terminal cells aggregated and projecting in places. Stipe-columella context heteromerous, of interwoven, hyaline hyphae 2-3 µm diam. and abundant sphaerocysts 17-25 µm diam. in nests. Hymenophoral trama 52-85 µm wide, heteromerous, of interwoven, hyaline hyphae 2-4 µm diam. and isolated nests of sphaerocysts 12-24 µm diam. Subhymenium well developed, 18-28 µm wide, with 2-3 tiers of isodiametric cells -11 µm diam. (somewhat compressed). Basidia 21-39 x 8.5-12 µm, hyaline, clavate, with 4 sterigmata 4-7 µm long. Cystidia 60-87 x 10-17.5 µm, hyaline, broadly fusiform with acuminate or mucronate apices, sometimes clavate with or without mucronate apices, thin-walled, contents refractive in KOH; not or only slightly projecting beyond basidia, scattered. Spores 8-10.5(12) x 6-7.5(8.5) µm (9.1 ± 0.34 x 6.9 ± 0.22), Q = 1.23-1.27, broadly ellipsoid, heterotropic and asymmetric, wall hyaline. Ornamentation amyloid, of warts 0.4-0.8 µm high, often 2 or more joined by fine, low lines to sometimes form a partial reticulum, with scattered isolated elements. Hilar appendix eccentric, conspicuous, tapered, 0.5-1 x 1-2 µm; plage indistinct, inamyloid. Spore colour in mass in the locules of the dried gleba appear cream coloured.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION: Epigeous or emergent, solitary or in small groups under leaf litter in Nothofagus menziesii and N. truncata forest. Fruiting period Jan, Mar-May.

NOTES: This was the first species of Macowanites to be described from Australia or New Zealand. The basidiomata of M. carmineus range in appearance from very like an aborted Russula to distinctly secotioid. However, even in the more robust specimens anastamoses between lamellae are common, forming large labyrinthine chambers, and a spore print is unobtainable. Although Macowanites rubroluteus may also have a red peridium, the gleba is loculate not sublamellate, and the stipe-columellais never as robust. Microscopically, M. rubroluteus has spores ornamented with isolated spines whereas in M. carmineus the spore ornamentation is lower and in short lines or a partial reticulum.

HOLOTYPE: New Zealand, Nelson, Buller County, Karamea, Umere, R. F. R. McNabb, 8 Jan 1968, PDD 26560.

Under (i) N. fusca. Nelson: Garvey's Creek, 22.iii. 1966, R. F. R. McN., 26572; (2) N. menziesii, Nelson: Karamea, Umere, 8.i.l968, R.F.R. McN., (HOLOTYPE, PDD 26560): 8.i.l969: 26.xii.l969; 4.i.l970; R. F. R. McN.

Gastrocarps 3-6 cm diam., hemispherical to depressed-globose with strongly involute margins when young, centrally depressed with involute margins at maturity, slightly viscid, glabrous, innately pruinose under lens, velar remnants absent, bright carmine red to madder red, red pigment leaching under wet conditions; cuticle a trichodermium palisade. Composed of short, filamentous, septate, thin-walled hyphae 3-5 nm diam. arising from connective hyphae or sphaerocysts, terminal cells with bluntly-acuminate, rounded, or occasionally inflated apices, trichodermium becoming disorganised with age and somewhat gelatinised; pilocystidia absent. Gleba basically lamellate, attached to apex of stipe-columella, convoluted, glebal plates thin, fragile, chalk white, radiating from stipe-columella to margin, forming mainly narrow chambers open towards the lower surface, to 10mm deep, exposed. Stipe-columella 3-5.5 cm long, more or less equal, or slightly tapered basally, 1.4-1.8 cm diam., solid to hollowed, dry, subglabrous, faintly longitudinally striate, chalk white; cuticle composed of interwoven hyphae 2.5-4.5 µm diam., terminal cells aggregated and projecting in places. Context of peridium white, firm, unchanging on exposure to air, heteromerous, composed of connective hyphae and numerous nests of sphaerocysts. Spores broadly elliptical, obliquely apiculate, apiculus to 1.5-(2) µm. long, 8.2-10.5-(12) x 6-7.5-(8.2) µm, ornamentation of strongly amyloid verrucae to 0.7 µm high, in groups of 2-3, joined by fine amyloid ridges and forming an incomplete reticulum, or occasionally isolated, plage indistinct. Hymenium continuous: basidia hyaline, clavate or irregularly clavate, 21-39 x 8.5-12 µm, 4-spored, sterigmata to 7 µm long; pleuro-cystidia scattered, broadly fusiform with acuminate, mucronate, or strangulate apices, sometimes clavate with or without mucronate apices, hyaline, thin-walled, contents refractive in KOH, not or only slightly projecting beyond basidia, 60-87 x 10-17.5 µm. Hymenophoral trama intermixed; subhymenium well developed, of small cellular elements; mediostratum heteromerous, of connective hyphae and isolated nests of sphaerocysts; clamp connections absent, all hyphae inamyloid. Taste mild. Chemical characters: formalin on context-n.r.; phenol on context-slowly deep vinaceous; F_eSO₄ on context-n.r.; guaiacol on stipe-columella base-n.r.; KOH on peridium-bleaching action on red colour leaving area pallid orange; on context-faint yellow; NH₄OH on pileus-faint purplish flush; on context-n.r.

Solitary or in small groups under Nothofagus

Fructificationes hemisphacricae ad convexas, centraliter depressac, 3-6 cm diam., subviscidae, vivide carmineae. Gleba lamellata, lamina tenuia, fragilia, alba, convoluta, ad 10mm alta, exposita. Stipis columella 3-5.5 cm longa, acqualis 1.4-1.8 cm diam., alba. Sporae late ellipticae, oblique apiculatae, 8.5-10.5-(12) x 6-7.5-(8.2) µm, ornatae cum amyloideum verrucis ad 0.7 µm altis.

Typus sub Nothofago menziesii. Nelson: Karamea, Umere, 8.i.l968, R. F. R. McNabb, PDD 26560.