Art. XXVIII.—A List of Fungi recently discovered in New Zealand.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 17, 1884, Page 265

Art. XXVIII.—A List of Fungi recently discovered in New Zealand. By W. Colenso, F.L.S. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 1st October, 1884.] Last year (1883) I detected several peculiar and interesting Fungi in the woods and glens of the Seventy-mile Bush, Waipawa County, that were new to me; these, with a few others already known but rare, I exhibited at

two of the ordinary meetings of the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute held in 1883; and although I knew the genera of some of them, yet in order the better to ascertain their generic and specific distinctions and positions in this very intricate Order of plants, I forwarded specimens to Sir J. D. Hooker at Kew. From him I have lately received a list of them, kindly drawn up by that eminent fungologist, Dr. Cooke, which list I now give, together with a few brief and plain popular notes concerning those species now for the first time found in this country. And here I may observe, that out of 26 distinct species forwarded in this little lot to Kew, 21, belonging to 20 genera, have been now detected in New Zealand; yet of these no less than 19 species are known from other countries, mostly the Old World; so that there are only two really new species in the whole lot! This circumstance, however, is neither strange nor unexpected; for in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles an account has been given by M. Montagne of the Fungi transmitted from Juan Fernandez by Bertero, consisting of 56 species; of these there is scarcely more than a third which are not referable to well-known European species,—and only one which requires the formation of a new genus for its admission. So, also, of those numerous species of Fungi described by Sir J. D. Hooker in the “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora,” a large proportion of them are European and cosmopolitan. Sir J. D. Hooker, in his accompanying letter to me, remarks on this curious incident, saying:—“While many of them are already well-known to science from other countries; on the other hand, almost all the species you have now sent are new to the islands of New Zealand, and thus give an idea how vast a number of widely distributed forms remain to be collected.” 1. Polyporus exiguus, sp. nov. A small semi-stipitate flabellate whitish fungus, of horizontal growth, among mosses, on the bark of old trees near their bases; wet woods near Norsewood, Waipawa County; 1883: W.C. 2. P. formentarius, Fr. This species of fungus in the real Amadou or German Tinder, and is very generally distributed over the globe. Berkeley says of it (Introduction to Crypt. Botany) that “it is one of the few undoubted instances of fungus occurring in a fossil state⃛ In the Kew Museum a British specimen may be seen together with one from Sikkim, the accordance of the two being quite perfect” (p. 252). Again: “P. fomentarius not only supplies Amadou, but has been manufactured into coarse clothing” (p. 364). And, such being the case, it almost leads me to doubt the specific identity of the New Zealand plant, because this plant is excessively hard and tough to cut

or break—requiring an axe; and while it grows to a tolerably large size, 5–7 inches, flat, irregular, and overlapping (stratum super stratum), it is not very thick; evidently of slow growth, perennial and aged, of a bright yellow-brown colour, and somewhat resembling a slab or cake of ginger-bread. Owing to its excessive hardness, I could only with my knife secure a small portion as a specimen. On trunks of Fagus solandri, but not common; dry hilly woods near Norsewood; 1883: W.C. 8. Hydnum alutaceum, Fr. A tawny prostrate effuse plant, growing in large patches on bark of trees; woods, with No. 1; 1883: W.C. 4. Irpex zonatus, B. and Br. A small tawny-orange semi-stipitate sub-nabellate fungus, often gregarious and imbricate, and sometimes prostrate and effuse (apparently 2–3 vars.), growing among mosses and dead logs, same forests with the preceding (Nos. 3 and 1); 1883: W.C. 5. Stereum lugubris, sp. nov., Cooke. This is a most peculiar and elegant plant; pileus 1–8 inches broad, sessile, lateral, thin, rumpled, and zoned above with alternate grey and black bands, growing profusely and closely imbricated, sub-horizontal and pendulous—resembling small epaulettes,—a pretty sight. On dead trunk of Fagus solandri, in river bed (high and dry) near Norsewood; but though very plentiful there, only noticed on that one tree*∗ As this is a species nova, and possibly but little known here among us, I may remark that, in form and appearance, it is much like those sp. nov. of the same genus from Queensland, recently described by Berkeley and Broome in “Transactions Linn. Soc. London,” 2nd series, Botany, and figured in tab. 46, vol. i., and in plate 14, vol. ii.; 1883: W.C. 6. Dictyonema œruginosa, Ag. A small effuse horizontal species, over-running mosses, etc., belonging to a curious and tropical genus, long considered to be an Alga. In woods, with Nos. 1 and 2; 1883: W.C. 7. Cyphella discoidea, Cooke. A small circular fungus adnate on long-rooted cat's-ear (Hypochœrisradicata), in fields, Napier; 1881–83: W.C. 8. Clavaria acuta, Sow. A curious minute stipitate white clavate fungus, growing in little patches among Hepaticœ, but not common; on earth, sides of shady cuttings near Norsewood; 1883: W.C. 9. Tremella albida, Huds. A small erect white foliated gregarious fungus, gelatinous when fresh; an rotten logs, in wet dark woods near Norsewood; 1883: W.C. 10. Puccinia malvacearum, Corda. On leaves of mallow (Malva sylvestris), in my paddock, Napier; 1881–83: W.C.

11. Tilmadoche nutans, Pers. A curious minute simple stipitate fungus bearing a globular head of perithecia, having a greyish semi-metallic appearance when fresh and before bursting; growing in small patches among Hepaticœ, etc., on rotten logs, open skirts of woods near Norsewood; 1882: W.C. Glenross 1883: Mr. D. P. Balfour. 12. Aspergillus glaucus, Lk. On fruit of black currant (Ribes nigrum); gardens, Waipukurau; 1882–83: W.C. 18. Fusisporium miniatum, B. & C. A minute cinnabar-red fungus, sessile, gregarious in round dots, on dead logs of Fagus solandri, in river-bed near Norsewood; 1883: W.C. 14. Peziza (Hymenoscypha) scutula, P. A minute stipitate fungus, parasitical on leaf of Knightia excelsa; wet woods with No. 9; (apparently very scarce); 1883: W.C. 15. Solenia candida, Fr. A peculiar looking small horizontal effuse scurfy whitish fungus, full of transverse fissures, spreading on rotten logs; woods, with preceding; 1883: W.C. 16. Xylaria filiformis, Fr. An extraordinary plant! at first horizontal, of effuse pink or pink-red hyssoid growth, and forming vermicular-like markings, adhering closely to dead leaves (matrix); afterwards erect long wiry black and flexuose (like stout hairs), bearing large moniliform perithecia: originally found on west flank of Ruahine mountain range, emerging from dead leaves of Coriaria ruscifolia, but barren; 1850: W.C.: and in fruit at Glenross; 1883: Mr. D. P. Balfour. 17. Sphœrostilbe cinnabarina, Tul. A minute orange-red circular and convex sessile fungus, found growing gregariously in little scattered masses about roots of living trees, woods near Norsewood; a curious and elegant plant; 1883: W.C. 18. Valsa (Fuckelia) turgida, Fr. A peculiar looking large prostrate spreading whitish fungus, the stroma (resembling the crustaceous thallus of a lichen of the Graphidei tribe) having scattered dark-umber linear perithecia, 1–2 lines long, erumpent and bursting; on the bark of a dead tree, dry hilly woods near Norsewood; (only one large patch noticed) 1883: W.C. 19. Antennaria scoriadea, B. This peculiar fungus assumes two forms:—1. When young, spreading in long dark ribbon-like lines over mosses, etc., as if laid on with a brush; very plain when wet but scarcely visible when dry: 2. On bark of living

trees, bristly, black, horizontal, 1–1 ½ inches long, of dense bushy growth, perennial, bearing moniliform fruit. Woods near Norsewood, also near Matamau; 1883: W.C. 20. Hemiarcyria serpula, Rtfi. This is a most curious small fungus; a substance that, at first sight, might well be taken for some small smooth worm, coiled up and hybernating; it is orange-coloured, smooth, vermicular (in size, like small pieces of vermicelli, or coloured silk cord), soft and tender, so as to make it difficult to preserve a good specimen. Found under large foliaceous lichens (Stictœ), on rotten logs, dry elevated woods near Norsewood; (but scarce); 1883: W.C. 21. Chroolepus aureum, Ag. A curious small reddish woolly convex and spreading fungus, forming little cushions, adnate on lichen (Thelotrema) on bark of living Dacrydium cupressinum; forest between Matamau and Danneverke, Waipawa County; 1883: W.C. (N.B.—The colour changes to light green in drying and keeping.) The following more or less rare Fungi (but already collected in New Zealand, see “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora”), were also in the lot, viz.:— Polyporus australis, Fr. Thelephora pedicellata, Schw. Stereum lobatum, Kze. Guepinia spathularia, Fr. Secotium erythrocephalum, Tul.