Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Auckland: Campbell's, Bay, February, 1953, Mrs. E.E. Chamberlain. Dysoxylum spectabile (Forst. f.) Hook. f. Auckland: Coromandel coast, December, 1946, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 5035. Pseudotsuga douglasii Carr. Auckland: Campbell's Bay, January, 1953, Mrs. E.E. Chamberlain.

Hymenophore annual, adnate, membranous, effused, forming linear areas to 14 x 3 cm.; surface white, becoming pallid cream, finely pruinose, sparsely creviced when old; margin thinning out, white, arachnoid, adnate. Context white, 200-300 µ thick, composed of a narrow base of parallel hyphae and an intermediate layer of upright hyphae more densely arranged beneath the hymenium, anastomosing when old; generative hyphae 3-4 µ diameter, wall 0.25 µ thick, naked, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connections. Hymenial layer 30-50 µ deep, of basidia, paraphyses, paraphysate hyphae and gloeocystidia. Basidia subclavate, 16-24 x 6-9 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, to 6 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, narrower than the basidia; paraphysate hyphae scanty, projecting, cylindrical with rounded apices. Gloeocystidia obclavate or cucurbitiform, base rounded, apex long-acuminate, in context to 130 x 15 µ, in hymenial layer 30-48 x 6-10 µ, projecting to 20 µ, or not, wall 0.5 µ thick. Vesicles arising from lateral branches at bases of context hyphae, unequally two-celled, with a girdle of digitate processes 1-4 µ long encircling the septum, pyriform, to 14 x 10 µ, wall 0.5 µ thick. Spores elliptical or suballantoid, apiculate, 8-9 x 4-4.5 µ, wall smooth, hyaline, 0.25 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION. New Zealand.

HABITAT. Effused on decorticated decaying wood.

Hymenophorum membranaceum, adnatum, effusum; superficie alba, deinde pallide cremea, pruinosa, demum rimosa. Hyphae contextus fibulatae, 3-4 µ diam., nudae. Basidia 16-24 x 6-9 µ, 4 sporis. Gloeocystidia obclavata vel cucurbitiformia, ad 130 x 15 µ in contextu, 30-48 x 6-10 µ, in hymenio, vesiculis duobus inaequalibus cellulis, pyriformibus, ad 14 x 10 µ, septo corona digitorum cincto. Sporae ellipticae vel suballantoides, apiculatae, 8-9 x 4-4.5 µ, laeves, hyalinae.

Gloeocystidia may be abundant or scanty, are of two sizes, and in fresh specimens contain orange coarsely granular contents. Vesicles are unusual: they are two-celled, with the septum girdled by a band of digitate processes, a feature not recorded for any other species, hence the specific epithet. They also may be abundant or scanty, and arise in the base of the intermediate layer from short lateral branches. Paraphyses are irregular, some being clavate, others fusiform or ventricose, a few long-elliptical with acuminate apices. Occasional paraphysate hyphae project beyond the basidia.

Auckland: Coromandel coast, December, 1946, J.M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 5035.

Besides the large tramal gloeocystidia hymenial leptocystidia are also present, 20-30 X 4-6 µm, slightly projecting and generally capitate or at least with a constriction or narrower part just below the apex. The species is Hyphoderma praetermissum (P. Karst.) J. Erikss. & Strid; it causes a white rot.