Type: Caulicolous Fungi; Description: Colonies on potato dextrose agar slow growing, some forming a slimy cream, apricot or orange mass without any visible mycelium, others consisting of a sparse, felted orange mycelium with a white fringe. Chlamydospores none. Microconidia none. Macroconidia fusoid, straight, 3–5-septate, 35–45 × 3–5 μm, smooth, hyaline with a notched foot cell.

Distribution: Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington.; 1st Record: Ridley (2001a).

Notes: Identification of this fungus has been based on cultural characters. Rossman et al. (1999) reported that the Fusarium anamorphs of two New Zealand species of Cosmospora (C. dingleyae Lowen and C. obscura Lowen) are characterised by cultures similar to those of F. merismoides. A comparison of New Zealand Forest Research Institute cultures with published descriptions of the two Cosmospora species indicates several apparent but not necessarily conclusive differences. The identi-fication of F. merismoides must therefore be held to be tentative.

Significance: Associated with dieback of twigs. Pathogenicity tests have shown that it is a weak wound pathogen of Podocarpus totara (Ridley 2001a).; Host(s): Acmena smithii, Corokia cotoneaster, Cotoneaster sp., Hoheria sp., Paulownia tomentosa, Podocarpus totara, Prumnopitys ferruginea, Sorbus aucuparia.