Thelephoraceae of New Zealand. Parts IX, X and XI Part IX–The Genus Stereum By G. H. Cunningham [Received by the Editor, July 19, 1955.] Abstract Stereum is one of four genera placed under the tribe Stereae of the Thelephoraceae. In New Zealand it is represented by 15 species, of which two are described as new. Each species is described in detail, descriptions being accompanied by notes on distribution, host range and comparative features. Fourteen are illustrated with photographs of pilei; seven by line drawings of transverse sections, and several by drawings of their spores. Previously described species present in the Dominion are S. affine Lev., S. elegans (Meyer) Fr., S. hirsutum (Willd.) Pers., S. illudens Berk., S. lobatum (Kze.) Fr., S. murraii (Berk & Curt.) Burt, S. pergamenum Berk. & Curt., S. purpureum (Pers.) Fr., S. pusiolum Berk & Curt., S. rameale (Schw.) Mass., S. sanguinolentum (A & S.) Fr., S. strigoso-zonatum (Schw.) G. H. Cunn and S. vellereum Berk. Thirty-one species recorded in literature as being present in New Zealand are excluded, records being based on the faulty identifications of overseas workers. Introduction Stereum is the best known of the genera included in the Thelephoraceae, because fructifications, being pileate, are conspicuous. In the result more than 250 species have been described, most of which are difficult to identify, since almost all were erected upon variable macrofeatures. Stereum differs from genera of the tribe Corticeae also in microfeatures, the context being composed of parallel hyphae, densely arranged, from which the hymenial layer arises directly, since an intermediate layer is wanting (save in S. murraii). Species fall into two well-defined sections: those in which pilei are borne upon central or lateral stems; and those with sessile, usually effused-reflexed pilei. Stipitate species are mostly closely related and mainly tropical and sub-tropical in their distribution. Pilei may be infundibuliform as in S. surinamense; campanulate with central stems, as in S. pergamenum (Pl. 20, fig. 4); laterally stipitate with pilei flabelliform, spathulate or cuneiform as in S. affine (Pl. 20, fig. 3); deeply incised or lobed, as in S. pusiolum (Pl. 20, fig. 1). Plants seldom exceed 25–30 mm in length, though in the extralimital S. caperatum they may attain to 15 cm. Sessile species are more widely distributed. They favour dead branches, trunks, or twigs either attached or lying upon the ground. Commonly effused-reflexed, plants develop first broad resupinate fructifications, from which reflexed pilei arise, either upon the upper margin if growing vertically, or if linear with lateral margins reflexed. The last is a condition common upon fallen twigs and small branches. Alternatively, plants may arise directly from the substratum, without a resupinate base, when they appear applanate, flabelliform, or umbonate, pilei growing at right angles to the substratum. In some sessile species (as S. lobatum) occasional campanulate or infundibuliform forms develop upon the upper surfaces of prostrate logs. In stipitate species the surface of the pileus is usually glabrous or scantily tomentose; most sessile species are clothed with a mat of hairs. Hairs may be produced singly, in strigose tufts, or form a tomentum. They may cover the surface evenly, or be arranged in concentric zones, often of several shades of brown. In such species as S. lobatum and S. rameale, hairs may disappear from mature plants, either from concentric zones or irregular areas, exposing the coloured cortex.
Measurements of pilei are given in two dimensions: length as taken from the point of attachment to the distal margin (the radius of sessile forms), and width measured parallel with the substratum. The hymenial surface is at first even, and as plants age may become creviced or tuberculate. It exhibits a variety of colours, which have sometimes been used as specific features. Colours seldom remain constant, however, and usually change with age, or on drying. Some are striking, as the persistent chrome-yellow hymenium of S. aotearoa. Most are some shade of grey, cream, ochre, or buff, and may change with age to lead or plum. The hymemum of S. purpureum may be rich purple, or change to plum, or even grey. Species with conducting hyphae exude a fluid when the hymenial surface of living specimens is cut or bruised. Red is S. sanguinolentum and S. scutellatum, it is yellow in the extralimital S. styracifluum. Most species are annual, a few may survive a second season, and S. aotearoa and S. murraii are perennial. Context. With the exception of S. murraii, the context of species described is composed of closely arranged mainly parallel hyphae, bearing the hymenium upon its ventral surface and a cortex upon the dorsal. Present in all species, though sometimes scantily developed, the cortex is usually coloured, yellow in species with hyaline hyphae, deep chestnut in those with brown hyphae. It is composed of densely compacted hyphae, often with walls cemented together. From the cortex arise the hairs which clothe the pileus surface. Hairs may be scanty or solitary, often moniliform as in a few stipitate species (Text-fig. 1), or in species with sessile pilei closely arranged and often cemented into strigose tufts (Text-fig. 5). In perennial forms the context sometimes exhibits a stratose formation, usually indicated by the presence of several colour zones, remnants of the cortex of each growth period. Crystals may be present or absent, and do not appear to be associated with any particular species. Measurements of context thickness given in the descriptions include the hymenial layer but exclude surface hairs. The latter may form a layer appreciably exceeding the thickness of the context. Hyphal Systems. Five of the species described possess monomitic hyphal systems, that is, fructifications are composed of generative hyphae alone. Ten are dimitic, composed of skeletal and generative hyphae. Skeletal hyphae are scantily septate, sparsely branched, and walls are often so thickened that the lumen is capillary. Being usually of greater diameter than generative hyphae, and with thicker walls, they are readily seen and the hyphal system recognized. An exception occurs in S. purpureum where both skeletal and generative hyphae are approximately of the same diameter. Separation can be made by the presence of clamp connexions and frequent septa in the generative hyphae. Clamp connexions are present in eight of the fifteen species. Ancillary Organs Gloeocystidia. Present in the four stipitate species (Text-fig. 1) and S. aotearoa alone of the sessile species (Text-fig. 3), gloeocystidia are confined to the hymenial layer, scarcely or not projecting above it. They arise from generative hyphae. Most are cylindric-flexuous, cylindrical, or subventricose with slightly inflated bases. Walls are thin and the granular contents stain with aniline blue in fertile specimens. Gloeocystidia of stipitate species so closely resemble one another as to be of slight specific diagnostic value. Vesicles. These organs are confined to S. murraii and S. purpureum. In the latter species, vesicles are produced in a zone beneath the hymenial layer (Text-fig. 6): in S. murraii they are scattered through the context (Text-fig. 7). Usually pyriform, with contents staining with aniline blue, they resemble modified gloeocystidia. That they probably are such is supported by the fact that in both species
some vesicles of the hymenial layer are of similar shape to gloeocystidia. In old specimens vesicles collapse, and may disappear, their position then being indicated by compressed cavities in the context. Like gloeocystidia, they arise from generative hyphae. Conducting Hyphae (Sangumolentous hyphae, lactiferous vessels). In S. sanguinolentum and S. scutellatum (Text-fig. 2) these organs appear as hyphae with coloured contents which arise in superficial layers of the context and traverse the hymenial layer. Contents are granular and mixed with oil globules. In sections contents may exude as amorphous masses above the hymenial layer, and in herbarium material become discoloured brown or black. Conducting hyphae appear to be modified generative hyphae with thin walls, and are probably confined to a few sessile species with monomitic hyphal systems. They are liable to confusion with skeletal hyphae of several dimitic species, such as S. hirsutum, S. illudens, S lobatum, S rameale and S. vellereum. Apices of some of the skeletal hyphae of these species traverse the hymenial layer, become thin-walled and sometimes inflated (Text-fig. 5), are without septa, and often contain contents which stain or become discoloured. These modified apices have been named cystidioid hyphae, to differentiate them from conducting hyphae, which are of different origin. Cystidioid hyphae are not present in stipitate species. Paraphysate Hyphae. In some collections of S. purpureum terminal ends of some generative hyphae may project above the hymenial surface to 35μ. In other specimens they may be wanting; they are therefore not constant features, yet S. rugosiusculum was erected upon this one character. Acanthophyses. Present in S. illudens and the extralimital S. insigne, S. princeps, S. rhabarbarinum, S subpileatum and possibly other species, acanthophyses differ from paraphyses in that they bear on the apical region numerous digitate processes. From 5 to 15 may develop upon acanthophyses of S. illudens and may range in length from 0.5 to 4μ, and in diameter, 0.5–1μ (Text-fig. 5). Dendrophyses. In the developing hymenium of S. strigoso-zonatum, associated with developing basidia are masses of branched generative hyphae or dendrophyses (Text-fig. 4). As the hymenium approaches maturity they become gelatinized and form an amorphous layer over the hymenium. Through this the developing basidia are forced, often becoming distorted in consequence. Basidia, Paraphyses and Spores Basidia are usually subclavate and bear 1, 2 or 4 spores (commonly 4) on simple erect or arcuate sterigmata. Few exhibit features of diagnostic value. Paraphyses, like basidia, are usually subclavate, differing in being sterile, narrower and often shorter. Spores of most stipitate species are small and subglobose, broadly oval, or broadly elliptical. In S. surinamense they are 3.5 × 2μ, in S. thozetii 7–9 × 5–6μ, and in most other stipitate species 4–6 × 3.5–4μ. Spores of most sessile species are oblong-elliptical, or suballantoid, and apiculate. Those of S. aotearoa differ in being broadly elliptical, or oval, and somewhat larger, 8–12 × 6–7.5μ. Spore measurements were obtained by aid of an oil immersion objective, and are accurate to 0.2μ. Substratum. Sessile species invariably grow upon bark or decorticated wood, and are usually catholic in their host range. S. sanguinolentum is confined to exotic conifers, and possibly introduced with its hosts. S. strigoso-zonatum appears to be limited to species of Nothofagus in New Zealand, whereas in Australia it favours Eucalyptus hosts. Most stipitate species grow upon decayed wood lying upon the forest floor, or buried in humus S. pusiolum and S. thozetii grow in clay soils.
11. Stereum Persoon ex Gray, Natural Arrangement of British Plants, 1, 652, 1821 (Persoon, Roem. Neues Mag. Bot., 1, 113, 1794). Podoscypha Pat., Essai Tax. Hymen., 70, 1900. Bresadolina Brinkm., Ann. Myc., 7, 289, 1909. Stereogloeocystidium Rick, Broteria, 9, 79, 1940. Hymenophore pileate, stipitate or sessile, annual or perennial. Stipitate pilei infundibuliform, campanulate, flabelliform or spathulate, with a distinct central or lateral stem; sessile pilei effused-reflexed, applanate or umbonate; surface glabrous, tomentose or hirsute, usually concentrically sulcate and zoned; hymenial surface even, creviced or not. Context composed of a basal layer of parallel compact hyphae, intermediate layer absent (save in S. murraii); hyphal system monomitic or dimitic; skeletal hyphae hyaline or brown, sparsely septate, sparingly branched, usually thick-walled; generative hyphae hyaline, branched, septate, with or without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer composed of a palisade of basidia and paraphyses, associated with gloeocystidia, conducting hyphae, cystidioid hyphae, acanthophyses, or dendrophyses. Basidia subclavate, 1, 2 or 4-spored. Spores elliptical, suballantoid, oval, or subglobose, smooth, hyaline. Type Species. Stereum hirsutum (Willd.) Pers. ex Gray. Distribution. World-wide. Key to Species Hymenophore with a definite central or lateral stem; gloeocystidia present; clamp connexions present in generative hyphae. Hyphal system monomitic; plants growing in soil; spores usually subglobose, some pip-shaped, 4.5–6 × 4–4.5μ. 1. S. pusiolum Berk. & Curt. Hyphal system dimitic. Pilei usually flabelliform or spathulate, laterally stipitate, attached to a prominent mycelial pad; growing on wood; spores broadly elliptical or oval, 4–4.5 × 3–3 5μ 2. S. affine Lev. Pilei usually infundibuliform, concrescent and appearing rosetted, growing from buried wood; spores elliptical, 5–6 × 3–3.5μ. 3. S. elegans (Meyer) Fr. Pilei infundibuliform or campanulate, sometimes split on one side; growing on wood, attached by a mycelial pad; spores elliptical, 5–6 × 3.5–4μ 4. S. pergamenum Berk. & Curt. Hymenophore sessile, usually dimidiate and effused-reflexed, flabelliform, or umbonate, rarely resupinate. Hyphal system monomitic. Hymenium bleeding in living specimens when cut or bruised, containing conducting hyphae with coloured contents; clamp connexions absent. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed; hymenial surface deeply creviced when old; spores 6–8 × 2.5–3μ 5. S. sanguinolentum (A. & S.) Fr. Pilei commonly resupinate and scutellate or with margins only reflexed; hymenial surface not creviced; spores 8–10 × 5–6μ 6. S. scutellatum G. H. Cunn. Hymenium not bleeding, conducting hyphae absent; generative hyphae with clamp connexions, pileus surface tomentose-hirsute. Hymenial surface chrome-yellow, dendrophyses absent, gloeocystidia present; hyphae brown; spores elliptical or oval, 8–12 × 6–7.5μ 7. S. aotearoa G. H. Cunn.
Hymenial surface usually black when dry; dendrophyses present; gloeocystidia absent; context hyphae hyaline, spores elliptical, 6–8 × 3.5–4μ 8. S. strigoso-zonatum (Sw.) G. H. Cunn. Hyphal system dimitic. Vesicles absent. Skeletal hyphae simulating conducting hyphae and penetrating the hymenial layer as cystidioid hyphae, not bleeding; clamp connexions absent from generative hyphae. Acanthophyses absent. Coloured cortex present beneath surface hairs. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, surface coarsely hirsute with permanent hairs 9. S. hirsutum (Willd.) Pers. Pilei commonly umbonate or effused-reflexed, strongly complicate with lateral margins inturned; often concentrically zoned with glabrous and hirsute bands alternating 10. S. rameale (Schw.) Burt Pilei commonly applanate or flabelli-form, not complicate, tomentose, concentrically zoned with alternating bands of brown nairs and naked zones 11. S. lobatum (Kze.) Fr. Coloured cortex wanting or rudimentary when confined to the base. Pilei umbonate, flabelliform or effused-reflexed, covered with coarse imbricate straw-coloured hairs, seldom zoned 12. S. vellereum Berk. Acanthophyses present. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed, strongly concentrically zoned with strigose brown hairs 13. S. illudens Berk. Vesicles present. Cystidioid hyphae absent; clamp connexions present in generative hyphae. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed, tomentose, grey or tan; hymemum usually purple or plum; hyphae of the context parallel with the hymenial layer 14. S. purpureum (Pers.) Fr. Pilei resupmate or with a narrow black and naked reflexed margin; hymemum reddish-buff or ochre, hyphae of the context vertical and pseudoparenchymatous 15. S. murraii (B. & C.) Burt 1. Stereum pusiolum Berkeley & Curtis, Journal of the Linnean Society, 10, 330, 1868. Plate 20, fig. 1; Text-fig 1a. Hymenophore stipitate, annual, coriaceous, seldom solitary, usually gregarious. Pilei spathulate, cuneiform, narrowly flabelliform, sometimes rosetted or as often torn into few or several lobes, 5–17 mm tall, 1–15 mm wide; surface radiately sulcate, sometimes toothed along ridges and margins, or bearing subsidiary pilei, silky or glabrous, isabelline, straw colour with bay-brown margins, or concolorous; margins acute, dentate, or lacerate; hymenial surface sulcate, even, where fertile drab-brown to pallid fuscus, with a broad sterile bay-brown margin. Stem arising from a mycelial bulb, 1–5 mm long, 0.5–1 mm thick, naked, concolorous with the hymenium. Context 0.4–0.8 mm thick, wood colour or light brown, composed of parallel hyphae; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae to 3μ diameter, walls 0.5μ thick, hyaline, freely septate, sparsely branched, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 70μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia subclavate, 26–45 × 7–9μ, 2-4-
spored; sterigmata upright, slender, to 8μ long. Paraphyses subclavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Gloeocystidia arising from the base of the subhymenium, scarcely projecting, flexuous-cylindrical or cylindric-clavate, former to 80 × 8μ, latter to 30 × 12μ, when young filled with refractive, granular, pallid-brown contents, giving the zone a discoloured appearance. Spores subglobose, or pip-shaped, apiculate, 4.5–6 × 4–4.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.5μ thick. Type Locality. Cuba. Distribution. West Indies, Central America, New Zealand. Habitat. Growing in the soil, usually gregarious. Auckland: Cascade Kauri Park, Waitakeres, 800ft, September, 1948, P. M. Ambler; Cutty Grass Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, November, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 1,000ft. May, June, 1949, March, 1954, J. M. Dingley; Clevedon, August, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Purewa, April, 1951, D. W. Text-fig. 1–Transverse section of Stereum affine, × 500. Showing skeletal and generative hyphae, pileus hairs, dense arrangement of the hymenium with gloeocystidia. Distal part on light, a, Spores of S. pusiolum. b, Spores of S. affine, c, Spores of S. elegans. d, Spores of S. pergamenum. Spores × 1000. Original.
McKenzie; Huia Filters, Waitakeres, 700ft, August, 1950, J. M. Dingley; Northcote Kauri Park, May, 1951, J. M. Dingley; Rangemore Track, Oratia, 1,000ft, July, 1951, J. M. Dingley; Atkinson Park, Waitakeres, 900ft, June, 1953, J. M. Dingley; Mountain Road, Henderson, 900ft, September, 1953, J. M. Dingley; Whitianga Road, Coromandel Peninsula, 1,000ft, August, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Collections agree in microfeatures with type specimens seen in Kew herbarium. These consist of eight small plants, ex “Cuba, No. 510, C. W. Wright”, and are much smaller than typical New Zealand collections. Plants vary in size, shape and colour. They are constant as to habitat, contrasting colours of surface and hymenium, monomitic hyphal system with clamp connexions in generative hyphae, small subglobose spores and presence of gloeocystidia with coloured contents. Walden (1954, 431) thought the species so closely resembled S. radicans (Berk.) Burt that it might be regarded as a variety. I have not seen type material of S. radicans, so cannot express an opinion. Judging from the descriptions and figures, it is probable that S. cuneoforme Lloyd, S. grantii Lloyd and S. multifidum Lloyd are synonyms. 2. Stereum affine Leveille, Annales des sciences naturelles, III, 2, 210, 1844. Pl. 20, fig. 3; Text-fig. 1, 1b. Stereum obliquum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 66, 1115, 1922. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, commonly solitary, often gregarious, rarely caespitose. Pilei usually flabelliform or spathulate, sometimes infundibuliform with one side split to the base, 2–4 cm tall, 8–20 mm wide; pileus surface bay-brown, bright chestnut- or sometimes reddish-brown, even or radiately sulcate, concolorous or as often banded with darker zones either radiately or transversely arranged; sometimes silky and with scattered surface hairs more abundant in the darker zones and towards the base of the pileus; margin thinning out, crenate, sometimes deeply incised; hymenial surface even, when fertile white and appearing farmaceous, creviced when old, radiately sulcate; stems arising from a bay-brown prominent mycelial pad, to 8 × 1 mm, finely velutmate, bay-brown or umber. Context 0.2–0.6 mm thick, isabelline or wood colour, with a coloured cortex, composed of densely arranged parallel hyphae; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae to 4.5μ diameter, lumen capillary, hyaline, aseptate, scantily branched; generative hyphae to 3.5μ diameter, walls 0.2μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions; surface hairs scattered, to 8μ diameter, sometimes septate, irregular in shape, often moniliform, apices rounded, walls 2μ thick. Hymenial layer 110–160μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses, gloeocystidia and paraphysate hyphae. Basidia sub-clavate, 16–25 × 5–6μ, projecting slightly, 1–2–4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 4μ long. Paraphyses subcylindrical, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Paraphysate hyphae scanty or abundant, cylindrical, 3μ diameter, projecting to 10μ, sometimes moniliform. Gloeocystidia arising from the base of the subhymenium and traversing the hymenium but not projecting, some lying among context hyphae beneath the hymenium, cylindrical or ventricose-cylindrical, sometimes flexuous and moniliform, 40–96 × 8–12μ, walls 0.25μ thick, hyaline. Spores oval or broadly elliptical, a few subglobose, 4–4.5 × 3–3.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Sumatra. Distribution. East Indies, South Africa, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand. Habitat. Usually solitary on decorticated decayed wood lying upon the forest floor. Brachyglottis repanda Forst. Auckland: Waiomo Valley, Thames, June, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Coprosma australis (A. Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Moumoukai Hill Road, Hunua Range, 900ft, May, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Mountain Road, Henderson, 700ft, March, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Sprague's Hill, Henderson, 800ft, January, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Mt. Te Aroha, 1,100ft, May, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Dysoxylum spectabile (Forst. f.) Hook. f. Auckland: Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 900ft, July, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Hoheria populnea A. Cunn. Auckland. Cascades, Waitakeres, 800ft, April, 1954, S. D. Baker.
Unknown Hosts. Auckland: Kauri Park, Birkenhead, July, 1946, J. M. Dingley; Sprague's Hill, Waitakeres, 200ft, May, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, April, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Waikowhai Park, March, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Swanson, April, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Dry River, Wairarapa, January, 1880, T. Kirk; Weraroa, August, 1919, G. H. C.; Tararua Ranges, May, 1947, G. B. Cone. The species may be identified by the dimitic hyphal system with clamp connexions in the generative hyphae, scattered and scanty often moniliform pileus hairs, woody context, deep hymenial layer containing abundant long and narrow gloeocystidia, small oval or broadly elliptical spores, spathulate or flabelliform pilei attached to a broad mycelial disc, and the habitat. In several features it varies appreciably. Depth of the hymenial layer and consequent length of the gloeocystidia is affected by position, becoming deeper and gloeocystidia larger from apex to base of pilei. Surface hairs may be scanty or relatively plentiful, solitary or arranged in small tufts. Often moniliform, they are usually arranged in bands which traverse pilei laterally. Pilei are usually flabelliform or spathulate; occasionally they may be infundibuliform or campanulate, with one side split to the apex of the stem. They are attached to broad mycelial discs, sometimes two or three pilei arising from the same disc. Surfaces may be concolorous or show lateral bands of darker brown. Spores are usually oval or broadly elliptical, without apiculi, and measure 4–4.5 × 3–3.5μ. About 30 species of stipitate Stereums have been described. Most, as seen in Kew herbarium, appear to be forms of but half a dozen basic species, having been erected on slight differences in shape, size or colour of pilei, colours of the hymenium, or upon the nature of the substratum. They may be subdivided into two groups, upon whether hyphal systems are monomitic or dimitic. Within these, a few may be delimited by spore size. Separation of the others can be made only upon variable macrofeatures, such as size and shape of pilei, surface colour of pilei and hymenium, presence or absence of hairs on pilei and stems, and habitat. Several of the collections listed were sent abroad for naming. One from Wairarapa was identified by M. C. Cooke as S. obliquum Berk. & Mont.; others from Weraroa were named by C. G. Lloyd as S. affine, S. elegans and S. surinamense. 3. Stereum elegans (Meyer) Fries, Epicrisis systematis mycologici seu synopsis Hymenomycetum, 545, 1838. Plate 20, Fig. 2; Text-fig. 1c. Thelephora elegans Meyer (Fl. Esseq., 305, 1818) ex Fr., Syst. Myc., 1, 430, 1821. Stereum sowerbeii Berk., Fl. N.Z., 2, 182, 1855. S. floriforme Bres., ex Lloyd, Syn. Stipitate Stereums, 24, 1913; Bres., Ann. Myc., 18, 44, 1920. S. incisum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 64, 988, 1920. S. bombycinum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 74, 1336, 1925. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, gregarious or caespitose, seldom solitary. Pilei infundibuliform, or split on one side to the stem apex, sometimes flabelliform, often rosetted, with stems discrete but apices concrescent, 5–35 mm tall, 12–30 mm wide; pileus surface glabrous, bay-brown to tobacco-brown, concolorous or with darker lateral zones, radiately plicate; hymenial surface grey when fertile, when sterile ochre or pallid brown, irregularly fluted, creviced longitudinally when old; margin thinning out, concolorous, crenate, often deeply lobed or incised, somewhat translucent; stems 5–10 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, sometimes fused but usually single though several may arise from a common mycelial bulb, finely velutinate, concolorous. Context wood colour, 0.3–0.45 mm thick, of parallel compact hyphae; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 3.5–4μ diameter, lumen capillary, hyaline, aseptate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3.5–4μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 80μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia Basidia subclavate, 25–40 × 5–6μ, 2–4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 6μ long. Paraphyses subclavate or subcylindrical, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Gloeocystidia arising in the base of the subhymenium and traversing the hymenium, not projecting, flexuous-cylindrical or subventricose, to 90 × 8μ, walls 0.2μ thick. Spores broadly elliptical or oval, apiculate, 5–6 × 3–3.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. British Guiana. Distribution. Central America, West Indies, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand
Fig. 1.–Stereum pusiolum, × 2. Fig. 2.–Stereum elegans, × 3/2. Fig. 3.–Stereum affine, × 2. Fig. 4.–Stereum pergamenum, × 3/2. Photographs by J. W. Endt
Fig. 1.–Stereum sanguinolentum, × 1. Fig. 2.–Stereum scutellatum, × ⅔. Fig. 3.–Stereum strigoso-zonatum, × ½. Photographs by J. W. Endt.
Fig. 1.–Stereum purpureum, × 1. Fig. 2.–Stereum aotearoa, × 1. Fig. 3.–Stereum rameale, × 1. Fig. 4.–Stereum hirsutum, × ⅔. Photographs by J. W. Endt.
Fig. 1.–Stereum lobatum, × ½. Fig. 2.–Stereum illudens, × ⅔ Fig. 3.–Stereum vellereum, × ⅔. Photographs by J. W. Endt.
Habitat. Growing from buried wood on the forest floor. Auckland: Kumeu, 400ft, June, 1946, G. H. C.; Swanson, 600ft, May, 1947, M. J. Cunningham; Swanson, 400ft, April, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Piha, May, 1951, J. M. Dingley; Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1953, J. M. Dingley. As the type is no longer in existence, much confusion exists in literature as to the specific features of S. elegans. Judging from numerous specimens examined in Kew herbarium these call for plants with rosetted pilei, several usually arising from discrete stems and becoming apically concrescent. Pilei are thin and brittle, often appearing translucent, and spores are broadly elliptical, apiculate, 5–6 × 3–3.5μ. The habitat is also noteworthy, plants arising from decayed wood buried in humus. As pilei vary from solitary and flabelliform to campanulate concrescent forms, pileus features alone are not sufficient to enable species to be identified accurately. Consequently identifications of early workers, based on these, cannot be regarded as trust-worthy, so that the distribution given is that of authentic specimens examined in Kew harbarium, or received from Australian collectors. The species is close to S. affine, differing in pileus shape, habitat, and slightly larger apiculate spores. Flabelliform specimens of both, when sterile, are difficult to separate. Welden (1954, 437) listed as a synonym S. flabellatum Pat. A second is S. floriforme Bres., ex “Airey's Inlet, Victoria, Miss Berthon”; and S. sowerbeii Berk. is merely a small form without any constant differentiating features. 4. Stereum pergamenum Berkeley & Curtis, Grevillea, 1, 161, 1873. Pl. 20, fig. 4; Text-fig. 1d. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, solitary. Pilei infundibuliform or campanulate, sometimes split along one side when becoming somewhat flabelliform, 10–20 mm tall, 10–20 mm wide; pileus surface tan or reddish-brown, radiately sulcate, concolorous or with darker bands which are somewhat tomentose, with hairs more densely arranged above the stems; hymenial surface when fertile grey, when sterile some shade of brown, scantily vertically creviced when old; margin thinning out, concolorous or lighter, dentate or often deeply incised or torn. Stem to 10 × 2 mm, equal, bay-brown, velutinate with prominent hairs, arising from a well-developed mycelial pad. Context white or isabelline, 0.25–0.4 mm thick, of parallel hyphae compactly arranged, with a coloured cortical zone, and bearing surface hairs which may be brief or elongate, with rounded or moniliform apices and walls to 1μ thick; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae to 4μ diameter, lumen almost capillary, hyaline, aseptate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3.5–4μ diameter, walls 0.2μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 80μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia subclavate, 20–30 × 5–6μ, 2–4-spored; sterigmata slender, narrower than the basidia. Gloeocystidia arising from the context beneath the subhymenium, sometimes extending parallel with the hymenium for 90μ or more, subventricose or flexuous-cylindrical, often moniliform, not or slightly projecting, to 120 × 12μ, walls 0.5–1μ thick. Spores broadly elliptical, 5–6 × 3.5–4μ, apiculate, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.25μ thick. Type Locality. Alabama, U. S.A. Distribution. North, South and Central America, West Indies, New Zealand. Habitat. Solitary or gregarious on decayed decorticated wood lying upon the forest floor. Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Wellington: Pohangina Reserve, 300ft, January, 1954, G. H. C. Specimens listed agree with the type and other authentic collections seen in Kew herbarium. In microfeatures the species resembles S. affine and S. elegans, differing in that gloeocystidia are of greater diameter and possess thicker walls. Spores are of the same size and shape and are apiculate as in S. elegans. Pileus hairs are more strongly developed than in these two species, though of similar shape and diameter. They occur in zones on the pileus surface and irregularly above the stem. The latter is strongly velutinate as in S. affine and arises from a mycelial pad. S. ravenelii Berk. & Curt. is very similar, differing mainly in the glabrous pileus, which may be a variable feature.
5. Stereum sanguinolentum (Albertini & Schweinitz) Fries, Epicrisis systematis mycologici seu synopsis Hymenomycetum, 549, 1838. Pl. 21, fig. 1; Text-fig. 2a. Thelephora sanguinolenta Alb. & Schw., ex Schw., Nat. Ges., Leipz., 1, 106, 1822. Stereum balsameum Peck, N.Y. State Mus., Ann. Rept. 27, 99, 1875. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, solitary, caespitose or imbricate. Pilei effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, or mainly almost resupinate with reflexed margins, loosely attached, 5–10 mm radius, 5–30 mm wide, or when laterally connate to 10 × 2.5 cm., pileus surface straw colour or bay-brown, radiately zoned with bands of darker colour, sulcate and striate, covered with appressed tomentum, somewhat strigose near the base; hymenial surface at first even and wood colour or ochre, darkening with age, becoming ferrugineus, pallid umber or sometimes plum, finally deeply, radiately, sometimes areolately creviced. Context white, then isabelline, to 0.5 mm thick, a dense layer of parallel hyphae with a coloured cortex beneath pileus hairs and sometimes also coloured beneath the hymenium; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 4–6μ diameter, walls 0.5–1μ thick, hyaline, freely septate, branched, without clamp connexions; surface hairs 4–6μ diameter, septate, lumen almost capillary. Hymenial layer to 90μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and conducting hyphae. Basidia sub-clavate, 25–32 × 4–5.5μ, 2–4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 6μ long. Paraphyses sub-clavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Conducting hyphae arising in the context and extending through the hymenium, scarcely projecting, many not penetrating beyond the sub-hymenium, 80–200 × 4–6μ, walls 0.5–1μ thick, contents granular and discoloured. Spores cylindrical or suballantoid, with rounded ends, 6–8 × 2.5–3μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. North Carolina, U.S.A. Distribution. Europe, Great Britain, North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand. Habitat. Effused upon bark of dead branches and stems of conifers. Pinus radiata Don. Auckland: Putaruru, 1400ft, March, 1930, N. Hall; Oratia, March, 1946, J. D. Atkinson; Atiamuri, 1,200ft, November, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Pseudotsuga taxifolia Benth. Auckland: Pinedale, Putaruru, 1,200ft, November, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Collections match authentic specimens examined in Kew herbarium. The species may be recognized readily by the conspicuous conducting hyphae present in the context and hymenium, which exude a reddish fluid when the hymenial surface of living specimens is damaged. A second feature is that the hyphal system is monomitic, as in the endemic S. scutellatum and extra-limital S. spadiceum (Pers.) Fr. Pilei are mostly effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, and sometimes arise from borer holes in the substratum. Spores are narrowly cylindrical with rounded ends, or as frequently suballantoid. In all probability the species has been introduced into the Dominion with its exotic hosts, since it has not, as yet, been collected on indigenous conifers. 6. Stereum scutellatum sp. nov Pl. 21, fig. 2; Text-fig. 2, 2b. Hymenophorum annuum, membranaceum, laxe adjunctum, resupinatum vel angustis reflexis marginibus, primo orbiculatum, 2–10 mm diam., deinde coalitum ad 12 × 3 cm: pileus 1–5 mm radio, exteriore parte appressis fibrillis, stramineus; superficies hymenii cremea, deinde sordido-brunnea, purpurea tincta, non rimosa. Contextus isabellinus, 0.1–0.25 mm crassus. Hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 3–4μ diam, parietibus 0.5–1μ crassis, hyalmae, septatae, enodulosae. Basidia subclavata, 28–35 × 6–8μ. Hyphae adducentes, parietibus 0.5μ crassis. Sporae oblongae, apicibus rotundis, 7–10 × 5–6μ, laeves, hyalinae. Hymenophore annual, membranous, loosely attached, scattered, becoming coalesced. Pilei commonly resupinate, or resupinate with raised margins when 1–5 mm radius, at first orbicular and consisting of numerous small scattered colonies 2–10 mm diameter, coalescing to form irregularly linear areas to 12 × 3 cm; pileus surface straw colour, with appressed fibrils radiately arranged, striate, occasionally zoned with different bands of colour, when resupinate margins thinning out, fibrillose, 1–3 mm wide, grey or isabelline; hymenial surface at first cream, with reddish blotches where injured, soon darkening to purplish or plum, not creviced but showing concentric ridges or angular lines of colour indicating coalesced margins. Context isabelline or wood colour, 0.1–0.25 mm thick, of parallel compacted hyphae, with a yellow cortex beneath pileus hairs; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3–4μ diameter, walls 0.5–1μ thick, hyaline, freely septate, somewhat freely branched, without clamp connexions; scattered lenses of crystals embedded in tissues of the context and hymenium. Hymenial layer 50–90μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and conducting hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 28–35 x
6–8μ, 2–4-spored, sterigmata slender, upright, to 6μ long. Paraphyses subclavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia Conducting hyphae arising in the base of the subhymenium and upper layers of the context extending obliquely into the hymenium and projecting to 25μ, 60–95 × 6–9μ, filled with granules and oil globules, fuscus, walls 0.5μ thick. Spores oblong with rounded ends, 7–10 × 5–6μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.25μ thick. Distribution. New Zealand. Habitat. Loosely attached on bark of dead branches and trunks. Dracophyllum latifolium A. Cunn Auckland: Mt. Te Aroha, 2,900ft, November, 1946, G.H.C. Text-fig. 2–Transverse section of Stereum scutellatum, × 500. Showing conducting hyphae, monomitic hyphal system, surface hairs at the base a, Spores of S. sanguinolentum b, Spores of S. scutellatum Spores × 1000. Original. Text-fig. 3.–Transverse section of Stereum aotearoa. × 500. Showing gloeocystidia, monomitic hyphal system cemented toward the base. Spores × 1000. Original
Metrosideros robusta A. Cunn. Auckland: Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, June, 1946, April, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Stony Creek, Henderson, 600ft, April, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Cascade Park, Waitakeres, 700ft, May, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Ngaururu, Whangarei, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 7019; Waiotapu, Rotorua, 1,200ft, June, 1950, J. M. Dingley; Glen Esk Valley, Piha, May, 1951, J. M. Dingley; Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 1,000ft, March, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Otago: Horse Shoe Bay, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Both S. scutellatum and S. sanguinolentum possess monomitic hyphal systems, conspicuous conducting hyphae, and turn scarlet where cut or bruised on the hymenial surface. S. scutellatum differs in its scutelliform fructifications, which are commonly resupinate (or, if pileate, pilei are merely upturned margins), larger spores, broader basidia, and different host range. The hymenial surface is of different colour, not creviced at any stage, and is marked by colour lines or raised ridges where colonies have coalesced. The collection from Dracophyllum differs in several features, the context being thinner, basidia larger (40–56 × 10–12μ), spores 10–12 × 6–7μ. Until further collections come to hand, and it can be ascertained if these features are constant, it has been held under the present species. In actively growing plants conducting hyphae of S. scutellatum project, as is shown in the sectional drawing; but as plants age they collapse and are replaced with organs which do not extend beyond the surface. 7. Stereum aotearoa sp. nov. Pl. 22, fig. 2; Text-fig. 3. Hymenophorum perenne, coriaceum, sessile. Pileus effuso-reflexus vel umbonatus, saepe imbricatus, 1–2.5 cm radio, 4–6 cm latus; superficie castanea, hirsuta, concentraliter sulcata; superficies hymenii miniata, aequa vel inaequaliter radiatis striis vel raro spinis vel verrucis, parce rimosa. Contextus ferrugineus, 0.2–0.3 mm crassus; hypharum systema monomiticum; hyphae generatoriae 3–4μ diam., parietibus 0.5μ crassis, pallide brunneae, septatae, nodulosae. Basidia subclavata, 32–56 × 8–9μ. Gloeocystidia cylindricalia, 60–110 × 6–10μ. Sporae ellipticae, ovales vel obovatae, 8–12 × 6–7.5μ, leves, hyalinae. Hymenophore annual or perennial, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, to 10 mm radius, 2.5–3.5 cm wide, applanate or umbonate and imbricate when to 2.5 cm radius, 4–6 cm wide, or resupinate when appearing as several orbicular discs of varying size (3–10 mm) scattered over the substratum; pileus surface chestnut-brown, hirsute, concentrically zoned and sulcate, radiately sulcate when old becoming denuded partly or wholly and exposing the brown cortex; margin concolorous, inturned, crenate; hymenial surface grey when fresh, when dry bright chrome-yellow, even, or more often with raised radiating ridges, irregular spines or projections, finally sparsely creviced. Context ferruginous, 0.2–0.3 mm thick in the current layer, in stratose forms to 1 cm thick near the base, composed of compact mainly parallel hyphae with cemented walls, and a coloured cortex beneath the surface hairs; hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3–4μ diameter, walls 0.5μ thick (to 1μ thick in the cortex and surface hairs), pallid chestnut-brown, septate, branched, with prominent clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 100μ deep, a dense cemented palisade of basidia, paraphyses and gloeocystidia. Basidia sub-clavate, 32–56 × 7–9μ, 2–4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, stout, to 10μ long. Paraphyses slightly narrower and about two-thirds the length of the basidia. Gloeocystidia cylindrical or subclavate, arising in the base of the hymenium and traversing the hymenium, not projecting, scattered or crowded, 60–110 × 6–10μ, collapsing and leaving lacunae in the hymenial layer of old specimens. Spores elliptical, oval, or obovate, some apiculate, 8–12 × 6–7.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0–2μ thick. Distribution. New Zealand. Habitat. Bark or decorticated decaying wood of erect trunks. Beilschmiedia tarairi (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f. Auckland: Russell Road, Ngaitonga Range, 300ft, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 6909. Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Wellington: Weraroa, 50ft, July, 1919, G. H. C. Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Western Hills, Whangarei, 300ft, May, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Rereatukahia, Katikati, 500ft, September, 1950, G. H. C.
Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. Wellington: Lake Papaetonga, 50ft, October, 1930, G. H. C. Vitex lucens Kirk. Auckland: Mt. Wellington, 150ft, May, 1942, R. W. Denne. One of the most easily recognized species present in New Zealand, S. aotearoa may be differentiated by the hirsute and zoned pileus, long gloeocystidia, brown hyphae of the context, monomitic hyphal system, large broadly elliptical spores and chrome-yellow colour of the hymenial surface. The species is perennial, as is shown by numerous zones in the context of old specimens. Though even in young specimens, as plants age the hymenium may become radiately lamellate, studded with irregular warts, or even shallowly rugulose-porose. Sections are striking; for the generative hyphae are brown, cortex deep chestnut-brown and cemented, and the hymenial layer is hyaline. Basidia are large, firmly compacted into a palisade with associated paraphyses and gloeocystidia, and collapse as soon as spores are shed. Gloeocystidia are difficult to detect unless sections are taken from margins of growing tissues; for contents are colourless and the walls soon collapse, leaving cavities in the base of the hymenial layer. Nothing resembling the species was seen in Kew herbarium. Filed under S. contrarium Berk. there is a collection of S. aotearoa ex “Puhi Puhi, N.Z., No. 221, T. Kirk”. On the sheet Bresadola had written “An St. medicum Currey. Sed vix Stereum;? Irpex. Non S. scytalis affine”. Bresadola (1916, 232) referred both S. contrarium and S. scytale Berk. to S. princeps (Jungh.) Sacc., a different plant with acanthophyses. Our species does not resemble any of these. Its specific name is derived from the Maori name of New Zealand. 8. Stereum strigoso-zonatum (Schweinitz) nov. comb. Pl. 21, fig. 3; Text-fig. 4. Merulius strigoso-zonatus Schw., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., 4, 160, 1834. Phlebia reflexa Berk., Hook. Jour. Bot. 3, 168, 1851. P. rubiginosa Berk & Rav., Grev., 1, 146, 1873. P. zonata Berk. & Curt., Grev., 1, 146, 1873. P. hispidula Berk., Jour. Linn. Soc., 13, 167, 1873. P. pileata Peck, N. Y. State Mus., 29th Ann. Rept., 45, 1877. Stereum lugubris Cke., Grev., 12, 85, 1884. Thelephora stereoides Cke. & Mass., Grev., 18, 5, 1889. Auricularia butleri Mass., Kew Bull. Misc. Inf., 94, 1906. A reflexa (Berk.) Bres., Ann. Myc., 9, 551, 1911. Phlebia strigoso-zonata (Schw.) Lloyd, Letter 46, 6, 1913. Stereum ceriferum Wakef., Kew Bull. Misc. Inf. 370, 1915. S. atropurpureum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 50, 712, 1917. S. deceptivum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 55, 786, 1918. Auricularia strigoso-zonata (Schw.) Bres., in Sacc. Syll. Fung., 23, 480, 1925. Stereum hispidulum (Berk.) G. H. Cunn., Proc. Linn. Soc., N.S.W., 77, 284, 1953. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous-ceraceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed with broad resupinate bases, applanate, dimidiate, frequently laterally connate and often imbricate, sometimes resupinate, 5–30 mm radius, 5–25 mm broad, or when connate expanded laterally to 15 cm, pileus surface coarsely tomentose, tomentum at first reddish-brown, soon concentrically sulcate and zoned with different colours, in old specimens bases grey and margins reddish-brown finally becoming grey or dingy brown; margin thinning out, entire, inturned, concolorous; hymenial surface at first reddish-brown and even, with zones corresponding to those of the surface, becoming black and shining, remaining so or ultimately becoming tuberculate. Context in section appearing subgelatinous, shining, reddish-brown, or fuscus, 0.2–0.5 mm thick, composed of parallel hyphae somewhat loosely arranged and sometimes embedded in mucilage, corte densely compacted, chestnut-brown, surface hairs chestnut-brown, walls 1μ thick, hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae 3.5–4μ diameter, walls 0.25–0.5μ thick hyaline branched, septate, with prominent clamp connexions. Hymenial layer 60–80μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia. paraphyses and dendrophyses. Basidia subclavate, 30–50 × 5–6μ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, slender, to 6μ long. Paraphyses cylindrical, about half the length and diameter of the basidia. Dendrophyses arising in the subhymenium and projecting to 20μ, branched, hyaline, freely septate, collapsing. Spores elliptical, 6–8 × 3.5–4μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.25μ thick.
Type Locality. North Carolina, U.S.A. Distribution. North and South America, South Africa, Malaya, Fiji, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Habitat. Effused on bark of dead trunks and branches. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst Westland: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker. Nothofagus fusca (Hook, f.) Oerst. Wellington: Wilton's Bush, 200ft, May, 1922, E. H. Atkinson. Westland: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker; Orwel Creek, Ahaura, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Glandville Forest, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Text-fig. 4.–Transverse section of Stereum strigoso-zonatum, × 500. Distal region on right Showing gradual gelification of dendrophyses, and protrusion of basidia, monomitic hyphal system and compacted cemented cortical zone. Spores × 1000. Original
Nothafagus truncata (Col.) Ckn. Wellington: Day's Bay, May, 1940, G. B. Rawlings. Specific features are the densely tomentose, concentrically zoned, reddish-brown pilei, shining black hymenium, shining reddish-brown context in section, monomitic hyphal system with clamp connexions in the generative hyphae, and dendrophyses of the hymenial layer. At first the hymenium is smooth, and if plants are collected when young, it remains smooth though changing in colour from reddish-brown to black. As plants become fertile the hymenium may become finely tuberculate, or remain even, both conditions being present in collections listed. Context tissues appear to be gelatinized because of the brown and glistening appearance of sections, but in reality are composed of somewhat loosely arranged discrete hyphae, which retain their form throughout the life of the plant, though sometimes they may be embedded in gelatinous matter. A coloured cortex is present, as in S. hirsutum and its related species. Bresadola referred the species (1916, 231) to Auricularia rugossissima (Lev.) Bres. Both resemble one another in surface features but differ profoundly in their microstructure. He later (1925, 480) referred it to Auricularia strigoso-zonata (Schw.) Bres. This treatment of the species probably arose through Bresadola mistaking for basidia, dendrophyses of the hymenial layer, which to the casual observer may resemble germinating basidia of Auricularia. Basidia are true holobasidia, however, and bear four sterigmata each carrying an elliptical spore, as is shown in Text-fig. 4. This is not easy to ascertain unless adequate sections are prepared; for at an early stage dendrophyses collapse and form an amorphous gel upon the hymenial surface. Through this the developing basidia pass to produce spores above the gelatinous surface. Dendrophyses may be seen readily in immature portions of developing plants, and sometimes fragments of the branches may persist on the surface of mature specimens. The species exhibits all the features of a Stereum, save that in occasional specimens the hymenial surface becomes tuberculate, or tuberculatestriate; consequently it is referred to this genus, and not to Phlebia, with which it has little relationship. 9 Stereum hirsutum (Willdenow) Persoon, ex Gray, Natural Arrangement of British Plants, 1, 652, 1821 (Persoon, Roeru. Mag. Bot., 1, 110, 1794). Plate 22, fig. 4. Thelephora hirsuta Willd. ex Pers., Myc. Eur., 1, 116, 1822. T. ochracea Schw., Nat. Ges. Leipz., Schrift 1, 106, 1822. T. subzonata Fr., Elench., 181, 1828. Stereum amoenum Kalch. & MacOwan, Grev., 10, 58, 1881. S. kalchbrenneri. Sacc., Syll. Fung., 6, 568, 1888. S. variicolor Lloyd, Letter 53, 10, 1914. S. cinericium Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 66, 1131, 1922. S. ochraceum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 69, 1207, 1923. Hymenophore annual or reviving a second season, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei commonly effused-reflexed, often umbonate when conchate or flabelliform, dimidiate, sometimes with a broad resupinate centre with reflexed pilei on one or both sides, occasionally applanate, solitary, caespitose laterally, or imbricate, 5–20 mm radius, 0.5–15 cm wide; pileus surface coarsely or finely hirsute, not becoming partly denuded of hairs, hairs upright, single, in tufts, or imbricate, often in concentric zones, white, grey, wood colour, or bright chestnut-brown, concolorous or with coloured zones, sulcate or not, radiately rugulose or plane; margin even or coarsely lobed, thinning out, not creviced or laterally folded; hymenial surface at first even, or showing surface depressions, when old often deeply irregularly creviced, lead-colour, ochre with plum margins, or warm buff in a few specimens. Context white or wood colour, not zoned, 0.1–1 mm thick, composed of a dense layer of parallel hyphae, cortex coloured; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 5–7μ diameter, walls 1.5–2μ thick, hyaline, scantily septate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae to 3μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 60μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidioid hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 20–30 × 5–6μ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, 3–5μ long. Paraphyses cylindrical, shorter and about the same diameter as the basidia. Cystidioid hyphae traversing the hymenium and projecting slightly, or not, some-
times slightly inflated near the apices when 7–10μ diameter, walls 2μ thick, septate in the subhymenium, contents granular, when fresh orange, when dry sometimes fuscus. Spores elliptical, oval, obovate or suballantoid, some apiculate, 5–7 × 2.5–3μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Europe. Distribution. World-wide. Habitat. Effused on bark or decorticated branches. Beilschmiedia tarairi (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Betula alba L. Wellington: Lake Papaetonga, 40ft, September, 1919, G. H. C. Castanea vulgaris Lam. Auckland: Mt Albert, May, 1946, J. D. Atkinson. Coprosma tenuifolia Cheesem. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,000ft, March, 1951, J. M. Dingley. Coriaria ruscifolia L. Auckland: Wairakei, Taupo, 1,200ft, October, 1953, A. Hastings. Dysoxylum spectabile (Forst. f.) Hook. f. Auckland: Kauaeranga, Thames, October, 1950, J. M. Dingley. Elaeocarpus dentatus Vahl. Auckland: Lake Waikaraemoana, trig track, 2,500ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Hebe salicifolia (Forst. f.) Ckn. & Allan. Wellington: Upper Waikato River, 2,500ft, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Nelson: Maitai Valley, 500ft, September, 1953, L. W. Tiller. Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. Westland: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker; Ahaura, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Glandville Forest, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Otago: Blue Mountains, 2,500ft, January, 1924, J. C. Neill-G. H. C. Olea lanceolata Hook. f. Auckland: Omahutu State Forest, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Prunus persica Sieb. & Zucc. Auckland: Henderson, April, 1947, J. D. Atkinson. Hawke's Bay: Havelock North, February, 1922, T. E. Rodda. Pseudopanax crassifolium (Sol.) Koch. Auckland: Lake Waikaraeiti track, 2,100ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Although varying in shape and size of the pilei, degree of hairiness and colour of the pileus surface and colour of the hymenial surface, the species may be recognized readily, being liable to confusion only with S. rameale. Microfeatures are the same in both; hyphal systems being dimitic, skeletal hyphae thick-walled and with terminal ends projecting into the hymenium as cystidioid hyphae, generative hyphae are without clamp connexions, a coloured cortex lies beneath surface hairs, and spores are of similar shape. Features separating the two are discussed under S. rameale. Llovd's S. cinericium, S. ochraceum and S. variicolor are merely colour forms, as he himself admitted, not worthy even of varietal rank. Talbot (1954, 316) has shown that S. amoenum and S. kalchbrenneri also are synonyms. 10. Stereum rameale (Schweinitz) Burt, Annals of the Missouri Botanic Garden, 7, 169, 1920. Pl. 22, fig. 3. Thelephora rameale Schw., Nat. Ges. Leipzig, Schrift 1, 106, 1822. T. hirsuta § ramealis Schw., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., 4, 167, 1832. Stereum complicatum Fr., Epicrisis, 548, 1838. Hymenochaete ramealis Berk., Jour. Linn. Soc., 14, 68, 1873. Hymenophore annual or reviving a second season, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed, umbonate, some dimidiate, a few flabelliform, often imbricate and connate laterally, usually crowded into dense clusters, 5–10 mm radius, to 15 mm wide, or when connate extending laterally to 5 cm; pileus surface at first hirsute, hairs in concentric zones, towards the base disappearing from depressed or raised concentric zones, or when old sometimes almost completely disappearing, grey, straw colour or pallid ochre, or in some plants zoned in different shades of brown, reddish-brown where exposed, strongly radiately complicate, with lateral margins inturned; margin thinning out, entire or torn when old; hymenial surface lead-colour,
pallid ochre with plum margins, or warm buff, showing surface irregularities, seldom creviced. Context isabelline or wood colour, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, a dense layer of parallel hyphae with a promnient yellow cortex; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 5–7μ diameter, walls 1.5–2μ thick, hyaline, spanely septate, seldom branched; generative hyphae 2.5–3μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 70μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidioid hyphae. Basidia subclavate, projecting slightly, 25–30 × 4.5–5μ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 5μ long. Paraphyses subcylindrical, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Cystidioid hyphae traversing the hymemum, scarcely projecting, 5–7μ diameter, walls 2μ thick, contents orange when fresh, discoloured in dried specimens. Spores elliptical or oval, a few suballantoid, some apiculate, 5–7 × 2.5–3μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. North Carolina, U.S.A. Distribution. North and Central America, West Indies, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Habitat. Crowded on bark or decorticated wood. Agathis australis Salisb. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, April, 1947. J. M. Dingley, Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, June, 1947, J. M. Dingley. Albizzia lophantha Benth. Canterbury. Christchurch, October, 1921, W. K. Dallas. Beilschmiedia tarairi (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f. Auckland: Kawau Island, December, 1947, J. D. Atkinson; Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Coriaria ruscifolia L. Auckland: Lake Okataina, 1,300ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Elaeocarpus dentatus Vahl. Auckland: Omahutu State Forest, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Fuchsia excorticata L. f. Westland: Harihari, November, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Griselinia lucida Forst: Auckland: Russell Road, Ngaitonga Range, 600ft, June. 1948, J. M. Dingley. Leptospermum scoparium Forst Auckland. Karekare, Waitakeres, June, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Hawkes Bay: Lake Tutira, November, 1947, G. H. C. Wellington: Weraroa, sandhills, October, 1930, G. H. C. Otago: Anderson's Bay, April, 1939, H. K. Dalrymple. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Wellington: Oturere River, Mt. Tongariro, 3,500ft, January, 1931, G. H. C.; Pangarara River, Mt. Tongariro, 2,300ft, January, 1947, G. H. C.; National Park Station, 3,500ft, January, 1954, S. D. Baker Westland Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker. Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. Wellington: Mt. Holdsworth, 1,000ft, December, 1930, E. E. Chamberlain. Westland: Glandville Forest, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst. Auckland: Mt. Te Aroha, trig, 3146ft, November, 1946, G. H. C.; Lake Waikaraemoana, trig, 3,664ft, September, 1950, G. H. C; Upper Mohaka River, Kaimanawas, 2,000ft, May, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Otago. Upper Hollyford Valley, December, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus truncata (Col.) Ckn. Westland: Ahaura, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Olearia rani (A. Cunn.) Ckn. Auckland: Huia, 200ft, October, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Pittosporum tenuifolium Banks & Sol. Auckland: Sprague's Hill, Henderson, 800ft, May, 1947, J. M. Dingley. Podocarpus ferrugineus Don. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, June, 1952, G. H. C. Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. Auckland: Lake Rotoehu, 1,100ft, June, 1952, G. H. C. Otago: Upper Hollyford Valley, January, 1950, J. M. Dingley.
Pseudopanax crassifolium (Sol.) Koch. Auckland: Cascades Park, Waitakeres, 600ft, September, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Titirangi, Waitakeres, 900ft, June, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Quercus robur L. Auckland: University College Grounds, August, 1948, D. W. McKenzie; Domain, April, 1953, J. Lahood; Government House Grounds, June, 1954, G. H. C. Rhopalostylis sapida (Sol.) Wendl. & Drude. Auckland: Cascade Kauri Park, Waitakeres, 600ft, September, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Rubus australis Forst. Wellington: Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,500ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley, Weinmannia racemosa L.f. Otago: Lake Manapouri, November, 1924, J. C. Neill. Typical forms of the species may be separated from S. hirsutum by the following features. Plants grow crowded and imbricate, are usually connate laterally, umbonate or dimidiate and seldom exceed, as individuals, a length and width of 10 mm. Pilei are mostly complicate with free lateral margins inturned, and surfaces are at first clothed with grey or straw-coloured hairs usually arranged in concentric zones. As plants age the surface colour may change to light yellow or light brown, or hairs may disappear from raised or depressed concentric zones and, especially, from the bases. Denuded areas appear reddish-brown since the coloured cortex becomes exposed. Colour of the hymenial surface, used as a specific feature by several workers, may range from grey or lead to pallid ochre or warm buff, exactly as in S. hirsutum. In the herbarium there are several collections which exhibit only a few of the features by which these two species may be separated; and with borderline specimens, placing them under one or other species has had to be decided by minor characters alone. Such specimens tend to indicate that S. rameale is merely an extreme form of the cosmopolitan S. hirsutum. The species was originally listed by Schweinitz under Thelephora rameale, and is supported by type specimens in the herbaria of Schweinitz and Fries. Fries, to whom specimens were sent by Schweinitz, held the proposed species to be only a form of S. hirsutum. Consequently in a second paper Schweinitz reduced it to the variety T. hirsuta § ramealis. A later collection sent by Schweinitz to Fries was regarded by the latter as valid and published as S. complicatum Fr. 11. Stereum lobatum (Kunze) Fries, Epicrisis systematis mycologici seu synopsis Hymenomycetum, 547, 1838. Pl. 23, fig. 1. Thelephora fasciata Schw., Nat. Ges. Leipz., Schrift 1, 106, 1822, nom. nud. T. lobata Kze., in Weigelt. Exsicc., 1827. T. lobata Kze., ex Fr., Linnaea, 5, 527, 1830. Stereum fasciatum (Schw.) Fr., Epicrisis, 546, 1838. S. boryanum Fr., Epicrisis, 547, 1838. S. luteobadium Fr., Epicrisis, 547, 1838. Thelephora concolor Jungh., Fl. Crypt. Javae, Fasc. 1, 38, 1838. Stereum perlatum Berk., Lond. Jour. Bot., 1, 153, 1842. Thelephora (Stereum) leichkardtianum Lev., Ann. Sci. Nat., III, 5, 148, 1846. Stereum concolor Berk., Fl. Tas., 2, 259, 1860. S. sprucei Berk. & Curt., Jour. Linn. Soc., 10, 331, 1868. S. concolor (Jungh.) Sacc. Syll. Fung., 6, 561, 1888. S. leichkardtianum (Lev.) Mass., Jour. Linn. Soc., 27, 175, 1890. S. pictum Berk., ex Mass., Jour. Linn. Soc., 27, 185, 1890. Hymenophore annual, often reviving a second season, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei commonly flabelliform or umbonate and attached by a narrow base, caespitose-imbricate when several develop from a common resupinate base, less often applanate and dimidiate, sometimes effused-reflexed with a prominent resupinate basal area, rarely cupulate or infundibuliform, occasionally wholly resupinate when irregularly orbicular, 1–14 cm radius, 1–10 cm wide; pileus surface at first clothed with tan- or bay-brown tomentum, soon sulcate and zoned either with light and dark shades of brown, or zones in which the chestnut-brown cortex is exposed, sometimes almost naked near margins, points of attachment, or both, often radiately crenulate or fluted; margins acute, plane, crenate, sometimes deeply lobed and occasionally lacerated,
concolorous; hymenial surface ochre or pallid reddish-buff, showing similar concentric and/or radiate markings as the surface, scantily creviced when old, or even. Context straw colour, 0.2–0.4 mm thick (to 0.6 mm in many specimens near the base), composed of a dense layer of parallel hyphae, with a dense coloured cortex beneath surface hairs, some of which are coated with warts of mucilage and often cemented into groups; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 4–6μ diameter, walls 1.5–2μ thick, hyaline or tinted yellow in areas beneath the hymenium, freely septate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3–4.5μ diameter, walls 0.5μ thick, branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer 50–70μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidioid hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 20–25 × 4–5μ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, upright, to 5μ long. Paraphyses subclavate or cylindrical, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Cystidioid hyphae penetrating the hymenial layer and projecting slightly, with expanded apices, 5–6μ diameter, walls 2μ thick, contents granular, occasionally discoloured in herbarium specimens. Spores narrowly elliptical, 5–6 × 2–2.5μ, obliquely apiculate, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality British Guiana. Distribution. North and South America, Europe, East and West Indies, South Africa, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Habitat. Solitary or crowded on bark or decorticated wood. Beilschmiedia tarani (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f Auckland: Te Moehau, Coromandel Peninsula, 500ft, January, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Waipoua Kauri Forest, April, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Kawau Island, December, 1947, J. D. Atkinson; Russell Road, Ngaitonga Range, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Western Hills, Whangarei, 400ft, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Beilschmiedia tawa (A Cunn.) Hook f. & Benth. Auckland: Mt. Pirongia, 1,800ft, December, 1945, J. M. Dingley; Waikaretu, 400ft, October, 1946, E. E. Chamberlain; Waitomo, 300ft, August, 1946, G. H. C.; Claudelands Reserve, Hamilton, 200ft, October, 1946, G. H. C; Mt. Te Aroha, 4,500ft, November, 1946, G. H. C; Kahuhunui Ridge, Hunua Range, 1,000ft, December, 1946, J. M. Dingley; Little Barrier Island, November, 1947, A. O'Neill; Whakarewarewa, 1,500ft, June, 1949, P. M. Ambler; Upper Piha Valley. Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Purewa Bush, August, 1950, D. W. McKenzie; Huia, 100ft, January, 1954, Mrs. E. E. Chamberlain. Wellington: Weraroa, July, 1919, May, 1923, November, 1924, G. H. C.; Mt Waiopehu, 1,100ft, November, 1930, E. E. Chamberlain; Tiritea, Tararuas, 1,000ft, August, 1933, E. E. Chamberlain; Lake Papaetonga, October, 1930, August, 1952, September, 1953, G. H. C. Dysoxylum spectabule (Forst. f.) Hook. f Auckland: Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 800ft, June, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Knightia excelsa R.Br Auckland: Rangitoto Island, June, 1947, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Mt Pihanga, 2,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Hunua Falls, 300ft. October, 1946, G. H. C.; Little Barrier Island, November, 1947, E. G. Turbott. Leptosperimum scoparium Forst. Auckland: Little Barrier Island, November, 1947, J. M. Dingley. Metrosideros robusta. A. Cunn. Auckland: Lake Waikaraemoana, 1,500ft, March, 1949, P. M. Ambler. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Canterbury: Hanmer State Forest, 1,400ft, January, 1923, W. Morrison. Otago: Lake Manapouri, February, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus truncata (Col.) Ckn. Auckland: Kauaeranga Valley, Thames, October, 1950, J. M. Dingley. Westland: Ahaura, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Pittosporum eugenioides A. Cunn. Wellington: Mt. Pihanga, 2,000ft, October. 1949, J. M. Dingley. Podocarpus dacrydioides A. Rich. Auckland: Papatoetoe Bush, August, 1947, J. M. Dingley, Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 900ft, June, 1949, J. M. Dingley.
Podocarpus ferrugineus Don. Auckland: Kauaeranga Valley, Thames, August, 1954, S. D. Baker. Suttonia australis A. Rich. Auckland: Rangitoto Island, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Weinmannia racemosa L. f. Otago: Lake Manapouri, April, 1924, J. C. Neill. Unknown Hosts. Auckland: Hokianga Harbour, 1882, T. Kirk; Waihoratu Valley, January, 1945, Mrs. E. E. Chamberlain; Karekare, Waitakeres, 900ft, September, 1946, J. M. Dingley; Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, 1,000ft, October, 1946, J. M. Dingley; Omahutu State Forest, May, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Crow's Nest, Ngaio, August, 1882, T. Kirk. Canterbury: Oxford Forest, 1882, T. Kirk. Following examinations of all collections in Kew herbarium, and the abundant specimens available in New Zealand, I am satisfied that S. concolor, S. fasciatum and S. lobatum are merely conditions of one variable species. The type of S. perlatum Berk. ex the Philippine Islands, S. concolor Berk, from Tasmania and a Kew collection of S. leichkardtianum Lev. are also based on the species. In New Zealand, collections exhibit all growth conditions upon which Burt (1920, 155, 163) attempted to separate S. fasciatum from S. lobatum. According to latitude, altitude and age they may exhibit varying growth conditions, from flabelliform through effused-reflexed to resupinate, and degrees of hairiness of the surface, ranging from tomentose to almost naked. Typical plants are large, lobed, and zoned with naked and tomentose concentric areas. Plants which were collected while young, or from mountain areas, may be smaller, more hirsute, often effused-reflexed and often resupinate. As microfeatures in all collections are identical it is not possible to separate these two species when numerous collections are available for critical study. 12. Stereum vellereum Berkeley, Flora Novae Zealandiae, 2, 183, 1855. Pl. 23, fig. 3. Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed when dimidiate and usually attached by a broad resupinate base, umbonate or cupulate when attached by a central base, sometimes imbricate when reflexed pilei arise from a common broad resupinate base, 2–25 mm radius, and width, when laterally connate forming linear areas to 15 × 1–2 cm; pileus surface clothed with coarse hairs usually aggregated into strigose tufts, either erect or imbricated, concentrically zoned or not, concolorous or showing occasional bands of darker colour, white or pallid straw colour; margin thinning out, not inturned or complicate, slightly lobed or entire, sometimes torn when old; hymenial surface cream, pallid ochre with flesh tints, or grey, concolorous or lighter peripherally, marked with concentric zones, or raised lines where colonies merge, sometimes dimpled centrally and radially crenate, not creviced. Context white or straw colour, 0.13–0.2 mm thick, a dense layer of parallel hyphae, sometimes with an interrupted colour zone beneath surface hairs; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 6–8μ diameter, lumen almost capillary, hyaline, sparsely septate, rarely branched; generative hyphae 3–4μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer 30–50μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and cystidioid hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 16–22 × 4–5μ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, erect, to 5μ long. Paraphyses subcylindrical, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Cystidioid hyphae penetrating the hymenial layer, scarcely projecting, 6–8μ diameter, with a narrow lumen save near the apices, contents inconspicuous; crystal masses often embedded in the subhymenium. Spores cylindrical with rounded ends, narrowly elliptical, or suballantoid, sometimes apiculate, 4.5–5.5 × 2.5–3μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Distribution. New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania. Habitat. Crowded or scattered on bark or decorticated wood. Aristotelia serrata (Forst. f.) Oliver. Auckland: Huia Filters, Waitakeres, 800ft, November, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Lake Okataina, 1,400ft, December, 1953, G. H. C. Westland: Fox Glacier, 600ft, November, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Beilschmiedia tarairi (A. Cunn.) Benth. & Hook. f. Auckland: Kawau Island, December, 1947, J. D. Atkinson.
Beilschmiedia tawa (A. Cunn.) Hook. f. & Benth. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, July, 1946, G. H. C.; Waiatarua, Waitakeres, 900ft, November, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Brachyglottis repanda Forst. Auckland: Mt. Te Aroha, 1,100ft, September, 1954, G. H. C. Wellington: Mt. Pihanga, 2,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Coprosma foetidissima Forst. Wellington: Lake Surprise, 3,000ft, March, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Okarito Forks, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Hokitika Gorge, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Sprague's Hill, Henderson, 500ft, May, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Cutty Grass Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 1,000ft, March, 1949, J. M. Dingley; Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley, Mairoa, March, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Mt. Hauhangatahi, 3,000ft, February, 1952, G. H. C. Westland: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker. Elaeocarpus dentatus (Forst.) Vahl. Auckland: Scenic Drive, Waitakeres, 900ft, June, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Fuchsia excorticata L.f. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, September, 1954, G. H. C. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,500ft, November, 1924, J. C. Neill. Griselinia littoralis Raoul. Wellington: Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Griselinia lucida Forst. Auckland: Ruatawhenua, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Oturere River, Mt. Tongariro, 3,500ft, December, 1946, G. H. C. Hebe buxifolia (Benth.) Ckn & Allan. Wellington: Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Hebe salicifolia (Forst.) Ckn. & Allan. Auckland: Huia, July, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Knightia excelsa R.Br. Auckland: Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Loranthus micranthus Hook. f. Otago: Alton Valley, Tuatapere, 400ft, February, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Macropiper excelsum (Forst. f.) Miq. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,000ft, February, 1927, J. B. Cleland-G. H. C. Metrosideros robusta A. Cunn. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Otago: Upper Hollyford Valley, January, 1950, J. M. Dingley. Myrtus bullata Sol. Auckland: Moumoukai Hill, Hunua Range, May, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Wellington: Whakapapa, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Westland: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker. Otago: Lake Manapouri, February, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. Wellington: Hutt Valley, September, 1881, T. Kirk, Lake Papaetonga, August, 1919, G. H. C.; Day's Bay, May, 1922, J. B. Cleland. Westland: Orwel Creek, Ahaura, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Glandville Forest, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst. Otago: Lake Te Anau, 900ft, February, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Nothopanax arboreum (Forst. f.) Seem. Otago: Longwood Range, 3,000ft, November, 1924, J. C. Neill. Nothopanax edgerleyi (Hook. f.) Harms. Otago: Garden Mound, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J. M. Dingley.
Olearia furfuracea (DC.) Hook. f. Auckland: Rangitoto Island, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Taranaki; Mt. Egmont. Mt. Egmont: 4,000ft, February, 1952, G. H. C. Phyllocladus alpinus Hook. f. Wellington: Mt Tongariro, 2,500ft, February, 1952, G. H. C. Pittosporum colensoi Hook. f. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, November, 1946. J. M. Dingley. Pittosporum tenuifolium Banks & Sol. Auckland: Earthquake Flat, Rotorua, 1,500ft, June, 1952, G. H. C. Podocarpus ferrugineus Don. Auckland: Moumoukai Valley, Hunua Range, June, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley Wellington: Ketetahi Springs, Mt. Tongariro, 4,800ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Pseudopanax crassifolium (Sol.) Koch. Auckland: Waitetoko, Taupo, January, 1954, S. D. Baker. Pseudowintera colorata (Raoul) Dandy. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,000ft, March, 1951, J. M. Dingley. Quintinia serrata A. Cunn. Westland: Pukekura, November, 1954. J. M. Dingley; Weheka, 600ft, November, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Rhipogonum scandens Forst. Otago: Garden Mound, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Rhopalostylis sapida (Sol.) Wendl. & Drude Auckland: Cutty Grass Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Schefflera digitata Forst. Westland: Waiho, 600ft, November, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Suttonia australis A. Rich. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, December, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Suttonia salicina (Hew.) Hook. f. Auckland: Little Barrier Island, November, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Cutty Grass Road, Waitakeres, 900ft, November, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Weinmannia racemosa L.f. Taranaki: Mt. Egmont, 3,000ft, March, 1951, J. M. Dingley. Westland: Lake Mapouriki, November, 1946, J. M. Dingley; Okarito Forks, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Weheka, 600ft, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley; Hokitika Gorge, April, 1955, J. M. Dingley. Otago: Pike River, December, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Weinmannia sylvicola Sol. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Although exhibiting a similar microstructure to that of S. hirsutum and S. rameale, typical forms of S. vellereum may be separated readily. The pileus is covered with white or straw coloured strongly developed hairs, either scrupose or imbricately arranged. The colour zone beneath hairs is either wanting (the common condition) or scantily developed above the point of attachment, and not visible under a hand lens. In specimens from which hairs have been denuded the surface remains straw colour or dingy white. The context seldom exceeds 0.2 mm in thickness, consequently pilei are soft and leathery. Fructifications are either solitary, when attached by a broad base with a prominent resupinate portion, or more often broadly resupinate with one or two margins reflexed They may coalesce and extend laterally, usually on small twigs or branches, for many centimetres. At points of fusion raised lines develop, a feature common in numerous specimens in the herbarium. The hymenial surface is usually grey or lead colour; but not infrequently it may be tinted pallid ochre or flesh colour. Large specimens may be separated from S. hirsutum by the different surface features, absence of a colour zone, thinner pilei and smaller spores; small plants from S. rameale by absence of a colour zone, usual retention of the surface hairs, absence of zones on the surface, thinner piler which are rarely complicate. Cystidioid hyphae are present, as in the others, but less conspicuous since contents seldom discolour.
Text-fig. 5.–Transverse section of Stereum illudens, × 500. Showing cystidioid hyphae, acanthophyses and dimitic hyphal system. Spores × 1000. Original.
Although several workers have held the species to be a form of S. hirsutum, it is at least as distinct as S. rameale is from S. hirsutum. Bresadola (1916, 232) referred the species to S. friesii Lev., a very different plant. Judging from authentic collections examined in Kew herbarium the species is confined to Australasia. 13. Stereum illudens Berkeley, London Journal of Botany, 4, 59, 1845 Pl. 23, fig. 2; Text-fig. 5. Stereum archeri Berk., Fl. Tas., 2, 259, 1860. S. pannosum Cke., Grev., 8, 56, 1879. Hymenochaete (Veluticeps) archeri (Berk.) Cke., Grev, 8, 149, 1880. Stereum spiniferum Lloyd, Letter 51, 4, 1914. Lloydella illudens (Berk.) Bres., Ann. Myc., 14, 241, 1916. Stereum nitens Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 67, 1158, 1922. Hymenophore annual or perennial, coriaceous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed, flabelliform, umbonate, or resupinate, often laterally connate with a broad resupmate base and reflexed margins, 1–3 cm radius, 1–15 cm wide; pileus surface chestnut-brown to vandyke-brown with greyish base, coarsely strigose-hirsute, concentrically sulcate and zoned with various shades of brown hairs, sometimes complicate with lateral margins infolded, frequently radiately sulcate; margins acute, plane, concolorous or darker, entire; hymenial surface showing irregular zoning and sulcate markings of the surface, even, plum, violaceous or lead colour, or tinted heliotrope or violet, finally deeply creviced often around centres of attachment. Context ferruginous or fuscus, sometimes stratose, 0.3–1 mm thick, commonly 0.3–0.5 mm, composed of densely arranged parallel hyphae, with a coloured cortex beneath the surface hairs and a coloured zone beneath the hymenium; surface hairs cemented into tufts of 5–30, with thick tinted walls; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 4–6μ diameter, walls 1μ thick, tinted yellow-brown, darker when old, septate, sparingly branched; generative hyphae 2.5–3μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer 40–50μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, acanthophyses and cystidioid hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 24–30 × 5–6μ, 4-spored; projecting to 10μ, sterigmata upright, slender, to 6μ long. Paraphyses subclavate, about half the length and diameter of the basidia. Acanthophyses projecting slightly, fusiform or cylindrical with acummate or rounded apices, 4–5μ diameter, bearing on the apical region 5–15 digitate processes 0.5–4 × 0.5μ. Cystidioid hyphae traversing the hymenium, scarcely projecting, with rounded or acummate apices, to 8μ diameter, with walls 1.5μ thick, or in the base of the hymenium many inflated, 10–16μ, with walls thickened to 4μ, contents not conspicuous. Spores elliptical, apiculate, 7–9 × 3.5–4μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Swan River, Western Australi. Distribution. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Habitat. Effused on bark or decorticated trunks and branches, often on power poles or worked timber. Agathis australis Salisb. Auckland: Kawau Island, September, 1948, T. R. Vernon. Carpodetus serratus Forst. Auckland: Kauaeranga Valley, Thames, August, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Coprosma lucida Forst. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Waikaretu, 400ft, October. 1946. E. E. Chamberlain; Sprague's Hill, Henderson, 200ft, May, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Mangere, July, 1947, J. D. Atkinson; Upper Piha Valley, Waitakeres, 900ft, April, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Anawhata Road, Waitakeres, 1,000ft, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Te Whaiti, 1,500ft, June, 1950, J. M. Dingley; Cornwallis, March, 1953, J. D. Atkinson. Wellington: Hutt Valley, September, 1881, T. Kirk; Weraroa, September, 1919, R. Waters; Kelburn, 400ft, March, 1927, G. H. C. Otago: Horse Shoe Bay, Stewart Island, February, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Eucalyptus spp. Auckland: Titirangi, Waitakeres, 900ft, August, 1946, M. Carter; Waitomo, 400ft, August, 1946, G. H. C.; Whakarewarewa, 1,200ft, June, 1950, J. M. Dingley; Silverdale, 300ft, October, 1950, J. M. Dingley. Taranaki. Inglewood, 600ft, February, 1927, J. B. Cleland-G. H. C.
Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich. Auckland: Sprague's Hill, Henderson, 600ft, May, 1947, J. M. Dingley; Kawau Island, December, 1947, J. D. Atkinson; Kawau Island, August, 1948, T. R. Vernon; Parahaki, Whangarei, 500ft, May, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Western Hills, Whangarei, 400ft, June, 1948, J. M. Dingley; Swanson, Waitakeres, 600ft, April, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. Auckland: Whakarewarewa, 1,200ft, October, 1945, G. H. C.; Kumeu, 400ft, June, 1946, G. H. C.; Mt. Albert, 150ft, September, 1948, D. W. McKenzie; Earthquake Flat, Rotorua, 1,500ft, June, 1952, G. H. C.; Mt. Te Aroha, 1,100ft, September, 1954, G. H. C. Leucopogon fasciculatus (Forst f.) A. Rich. Auckland: Purewa Bush, August, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Metrosideros robusta A. Cunn. Wellington: Wanganui, March, 1946, J. M. Dingley. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Westland. Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November, 1952, S. D. Baker. Nothofagus fusca (Hook. f.) Oerst. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, June, 1952, G. H. C. Nothofagus menziesii (Hook, f.) Oerst. Auckland: Lake Waikaraemoana, trig, 3,565ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Nothopanax arboreum (Forst. f.) Seem. Wellington: Tongariro River, Kaimanawas, 2,300ft, December, 1946, G. H. C. Podocarpus ferrugineus Don. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, September, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Podocarpus spicatus R. Br. Nelson: Stoke Freezing Works, May, 1923, R. Waters. Quintinia serrata A. Cunn. Westland: Pukekura, November, 1954, J. M. Dingley. Weinmannia racemosa L. f. Auckland: Earthquake Flat, Rotorua, 2,000ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Unknown Hosts. Auckland: Papakura, December, 1872, T. Kirk; Glen Massey, September, 1945, M. H. Dye; Little Barrier Island, November, 1947, E. G. Turbott. Wellington: Wellington City, 1881, T. Kirk; York Bay, October, 1919, E. H. Atkinson. Collections listed match the types of S. illudens, ex “Swan River, Western Australia, No. 158”, S. archeri, ex “Tasmania, W. Archer, Esq.”, and S. spiniferum ex “Australia, J. T. Paul” The last is immature. The species may be identified by the pallid brown context with deep chestnut-brown context, coarsely strigose-hirsute zoned surface and presence of acanthophyses and cystidioid hyphae in the hymenium. It is similar in microstructure to S. hirsutum and related species, differing in the coloured context and presence of acanthophyses. Collections vary appreciably, exhibiting three growth forms: (1) large effused-reflexed or flabelliform plants often laterally connate, common on fallen trunks and branches; (2) small flabelliform or umbonate plants common on power poles, or upright stems of shrubs; and (3) resupinate forms common on worked timber such as handrails, boxing and flooring in which the species produces a destructive decay. In the first acanthophyses are delicate, in the second they are prominent, and in the third may be delicate or well developed. Usually the surface is coarsely strigose-hirsute, chestnut-brown, concentrically sulcate and zoned with several shades of brown, the basal portion being less hirsute and often greyish. Hairs may partly disappear, exposing zones of the dark cortex, or be shed completely when the surface becomes shining and black. Colour of the hymenial surface varies appreciably: when fresh it may be light pinkish-buff, plum, or tinted violaceous or heliotrope, old specimens usually weather to lead or ashy grey, and become deeply creviced, often more prominently above the point of attachment. Some plants are stratose, bearing from two to five layers with recessive margins. Acanthophyses vary appreciably in the numbers of digitate processes with which apices are clothed. In small plants from power poles and similar
exposed habitats, they are conspicuous, with processes extending to 4μ; whereas in effused-reflexed plants from trunks and branches processes may not exceed 0.5μ in length and a half dozen in number. Consequently they may be overlooked unless sections are examined under an oil immersion objective. Resupinate forms, common on worked timber, resemble S. rhabarbarinum in form but differ in microfeatures, especially in the much smaller acanthophyses. Some of our collections were identified by the late E. A. Burt as S. sanguinolentum, others as S. rhabarbarinum. 14. Stereum purpureum (Persoon) Fries, Epicrisis systematis mycologici seu synopsis Hymenomycetum, 548, 1838. Pl. 22, fig. 1; Text-fig. 6. Thelephora purpurea Pers. (Syn. Meth. Fung., 571, 1801) ex Fries, Syst. Myc., 1, 440, 1821. Stereum rugosiusculum Berk. & Curt., Grev., 1, 162, 1873. Corticium nyssae Berk. & Curt., Grev., 1, 166, 1873. C. siparium Berk. & Curt., Grev., 1, 177, 1873. Hymenophore annual, membranous, pileate, sessile. Pilei effused-reflexed or flabelliform, solitary or more usually laterally connate and imbricate, sometimes with a broad resupinate base and reflexed margins, occasionally resupinate, 3–10 mm radius, 3–15 mm wide, when connate forming linear areas to 20 cm long; pileus surface coarsely tomentose, concentrically sulcate and zoned, usually straw colour or tan, sometimes dingy grey, occasionally with denuded zones; margin thinning out, concolorous, entire, inturned; hymenial surface even, sometimes scantily rugulose, ochre, pallid plum or purplish, occasionally creviced when old. Context white, 0.3–0.5 mm thick, composed of a dense layer of mainly parallel hyphae with a loosely entwined zone beneath the hymenium containing vesicles, coloured cortex beneath the surface hairs; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 3.5–4μ diameter, walls 0.5–1μ thick, hyaline, septate, scantily branched; Generative hyphae 2.5–3μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 50μ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and sometimes paraphysate hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 16–24 × 5–6μ, 4-spored, sterigmata slender, upright, 4–6μ long. Paraphyses subclavate, shorter and narrower than the basidia. Vesicles developed in a zone beneath the hymenium, arising from generative hyphae, pyriform, 12–18μ diameter, carried on stout pedicels, contents densely granular, walls 0.5μ thick. Paraphysate hyphae present or absent, projecting to 35μ, to 5μ diameter, walls 0.25μ thick, apices rounded or slightly capitate. Spores elliptical, or with one side flattened, obliquely apiculate, 5.5–8 × 2.5–3.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Europe. Distribution. World-wide. Habitat. Growing upon bark of trunks and branches. Betula alba L. Canterbury. Hanmer State Forest, 1,400ft, July, 1922, W. Morrison. Cotoneaster vulgaris Lindl. Auckland: Owairaka, June, 1946, E. M. Hay. Crataegus oxyacantha L. Auckland. Wairoa, Rororua, 1,200ft, January, 1922, J. B. Cleland; Buried Village, Wairoa, February, 1927, G. H. C. Cupressus macrocarpa Hartn. Auckland: Orewa, August, 1954, B. J. Hooton. Escallonia vulgaris L. Auckland: Mt. Albert, 300ft, December, 1948, D. W. McKenzie. Otago: Edendale, August, 1944, A. Stewart. Fagus sylvatica L. Canterbury. Christchurch. Botanic Gardens, January, 1946, G.H.C. Lupinus arboreus L. Auckland: Piha, coast, August, 1946, July, 1947, J. M. Dingley. Wellington: Feilding, June, 1948, M. Conway. Nothofagus cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Oerst. Wellington: Oturere River, Mt. Tongariro, 3,500ft, January, 1931, J. C. Neill-G. H. C.; Maungatorutoru Valley, Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, March, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Pittosporum tenuifolium Banks & Sol. Auckland: Mt. Albert, 150ft, May, 1953, J. M. Dingley. Populus nigra L. var. italica Du Roi. Auckland: Wellsford, May, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Populus tremula L. Auckland: Thames, coast, August, 1954, S. D. Baker Wellington: Tiritea, 50ft, July, 1919, G. H. C.
Text-fig. 6.–Transverse section of Stereum purpureum, × 500. Spores × 1000. Original. Text-fig. 7.–Transverse section of Stereum murraii, × 500. Spores × 1000. Original.
Prunus domestica L. Auckland: Wairongomai Valley, Te Aroha, October, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Canterbury: Christchurch, January, 1922, W. K. Dallas. Prunus persica Sieb & Zucc. Wellington: Weraroa, July, 1919, J. C. Neill. Pyrus communis L. Nelson: Motueka, September, 1921, W. T. Goodwin. Pyrus malus L. Auckland: Te Papa, January, 1920, G. H. C.; Henderson, March, 1946, J. D. Atkinson; Owairaka, June, 1946, E. M. Hay; Mt. Albert, August, 1948, D. W. McKenzie; June, 1944, G. H. C.; June, 1949, A. Farmer; September, 1949, J. A. Hunter; Mt. Eden, March, 1949, F. J. Newhook. Hawke's Bay: Havelock North, August, 1946, E. Crawe. Wellington: Turakina Valley, July, 1919, G. H. C.; Greytown, September, 1925, J. W. Kidd; Tiritea, August, 1932, W. K. Dallas. Robinia pseudoacacia L. Auckland: Mt. Eden, August, 1949, E. M. Hay. Rubus idaeus L. Wellington: Feilding, June, 1948, M. Conway; Greytown, June, 1948, M. Conway. Canterbury: Christchurch, June, 1946, L. Grainger. Salix fragilis L. Auckland: Mt. Albert, September, 1948, D. W. McKenzie. Sarothamnus scoparius (L.) Wimmer. Wellington: Kelburn, May, 1922, G. H. C.; Turangi, 1,200ft, October, 1949, J. M. Dingley. Marlborough: Kaikoura, July, 1949, J. Hume. Canterbury: Riccarton, May, 1954, R. W. Shepherd. Ulex europaeus L. Auckland: Swanson, Waitakeres, 600ft, May, 1948, J. M. Dingley. Features by which the species may be recognized are the zone of pyriform vesicles beneath the hymenium, coarsely tomentose small pilei, often connate and imbricate, dimitic hyphal system with clamp connexions in the generative hyphae, and small, elliptical, obliquely apiculate spores. Vesicles are readily seen in actively growing specimens; but in old material they collapse and lose their contents or disappear then leaving cavities in the context. Occasional vesicles are flexuous-cylindrical, traverse the hymenium and simulate gloeocystidia. A colour zone is present beneath surface hairs, as in S. hirsutum, but cystidioid hyphae of that species are wanting. Paraphysate hyphae are present in some collections, but absent from others, yet upon this one feature S. rugosiusculum was erected. The hyphal system is dimitic. This may be difficult to ascertain unless hyphae are teased apart; for skeletal hyphae are of about the same diameter as generative, differing in that walls are more thickened, septa scanty, and clamp connexions wanting. Commonly some shade of purple, the hymenium often exhibits other colours, such as ochre, or pallid plum. In some plants the context and especially the hymenial layer, appears zoned, the condition probably representing periods of seasonal growth. S. purpureum induces a serious silver-leaf disease of many cultivated fruits, in New Zealand being common on apples, apricots, cherries, gooseberries, peaches, pears, plums and raspberries. Though usually found on introduced hosts, it is not confined to these, since in the herbarium are three collections on endemic plants. Two are upon bark of Nothofagus cliffortioides, the third on stems of Pittosporum tenuifolium. After careful examination of sections. I am satisfied that they are specimens of S. purpureum, with all characteristic microfeatures of that species. In most collections spores are 5.5–6 × 2.5–3μ; but in several specimens may reach a length of 8μ. Large-spored forms are not associated with any other noteworthy feature, so cannot be considered as a variety. 15 Stereum murraii (Berkeley & Curtis) Burt, Annals of Missouri Botanic Garden, 7, 131, 1920. Text-fig. 7. Thelephora murraii Berk. & Curt., Jour. Linn. Soc., 10, 329, 1868. Corticium effusum Overh, Mycologia, 22, 238, 1930. Hymenophore perennial, ceraceous-suberous, closely adnate, usually resupmate, rarely effused-reflexed, forming irregular areas 4–30 × 2–10 cm, with a few outlying islands; hymenial surface cream, drying pallid ochre or reddish-buff, somewhat tuberculose, finally creviced, margin white or cream, adnate, cliff-like and bordered by a black line (in some North American specimens margins are reflexed, sulcate, naked, black, 3–10 mm radius). Context isabelline,
with darker base, 0.5–1.5 mm thick, composed of upright hyphae compacted into a firm pseudopaienchyma, embedding numerous vesicles and, in lower layers, masses of crystals; hyphal system dimitic; skeletal hyphae 3–3.5μ diameter, walls 1μ thick, hyaline, septate, scantily branched; generative hyphae 2–2.5μ diameter, walls 0.2μ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer 30–40μ deep, a scanty palisade of basidia, paraphyses and vesicles. Basidia subclavate, 20–24 × 4–5μ, 4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, slender, to 4μ long. Paraphyses cylindrical, some with acuminate apices, narrower and shorter than the basidia. Vesicles arranged in irregular rows in context and hymenium, scarcely projecting, collapsing and disappearing from lower zones, pyriform, obovate, fusiform or subglobose, 16–24 × 10–16μ, contents granular and with oil globules, in the hymenial layer some becoming elongated with broad bases and narrow necks, to 65 × 12μ. Spores elliptical, obovate, a few pip-shaped, apiculate, 4.5–5.5 × 3–3.5μ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.2μ thick. Type Locality. Massachusetts, U.S.A. Distribution. North America, West Indies, Western Europe, South Africa, New Zealand. Habitat. Effused on bark of dead trunks. Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. Auckland: Lake Waikaraeiti Track, 2,100ft, September, 1950, G. H. C. Wemmannia sylvicola Sol. Auckland: Waipoua Kauri Forest, December, 1951, M. Lancaster. Collections agree with authentic specimens from North America seen in Kew herbarium Commonly resupinate, the species usually would be regarded as a Corticium, since it possesses the microstructure of stratose species of that genus. In North America, however, pileate forms have been collected, pilei being narrow and scarcely more than upturned margins with a hard, horny, naked, black cortex. From S. purpureum, which also bears vesicles, it may be separated by the thick fructifications with ochre or buff hymenial surface, stratose context with numerous vesicles scattered throughout, and vertical hyphae of the intermediate layers of context hyphae. Vesicles are usually pyriform or obovate; beneath the hymenium arise a few which, fusiform or ventricose, may attain a length of 65μ and penetrate the hymenial layer. They simulate gloeocystidia and, in fact, suggest that vesicles are modified forms of such. In the base of the context hyphae become discoloured and somewhat cemented; they produce the black line bordering the hymenium of resupinate specimens and form the cortex of pileate specimens. Excluded Species 1. acerinum, Stereum (Pers.) Fr. Recorded for New Zealand by Colenso (1886, 304). One collection so named in Kew herbarium, ex “N.Z., Wellington, Travers, No. 376” is a specimen of Corticium scutellare. The species is an Aleurodiscus, A. acerinus (Pers.) H. & L. 2 beyrichii, Lloydella (Fr.) Bres. Filed under Stereum pannosum Cke. is a specimen so labelled by Bresadola, ex “N.Z, Colenso, b. 906” It is a weathered plant of S. illudens. Bresadola also referred to L. beyrichii, one of two specimens mounted on the type sheet of S. schomburgku Berk.; but as Berkeley had noted on the sheet, this is a specimen of S. illudens. Lloydella is a synonym of Lopharia. 3. ceriferum, Stereum Wakef. The type collection, in Kew herbarium, ex “Rotorua, W. N. Cheesman, 1914” is of S. strigoso-zonatum. 4. cinerascens, Stereum (Schw.) Mass. = Lopharia cinerascens (Schw.) G. H. Cunn. One collection in Kew herbarium, ex “N. Z., Colenso, b. 619” was filed by Cooke under S. ochroleucum. 5. cinereo-badium, Stereum Kl. Though recorded for New Zealand by Berkeley (1855, 182) there is no specimen from the region under this cover in Kew herbarium. 6. concolor, Stereum Berk. The type collection in Kew herbarium, ex “Tasmania, W. Archer, Esq.” consists of three immature fragments of S. lobatum. The species was recorded from New Zealand by Lloyd (1920, 959) ex “G. H. Cunningham” and
from Chatham Islands (1924, 1296) ex “E. F. Northcroft”. Records were based on specimens of S. lobatum. 7. confusum, Stereum Berk. A herbarium name applied to a collection of S. elegans, mounted on a sheet in Kew herbarium under the cover of S. sowerbeii, ex “N.Z., Colenso”. 8. contrarium, Stereum Berk. On the type sheet in Kew herbarium is mounted a specimen, ex “Puhi Puhi, N.Z., No. 221, T. Kirk” which is of S. aotearoa. 9. crispulum, Stereum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No. 73, 1321, 1924, nomen nudum (as S. crispulae). Based on a collection, ex “J. Mitchell, No. 7, N. Z.” From a note filed with the specimen in the Lloyd collections (Stevenson & Cash, 1936, 52) it is evident Lloyd did not know to which genus the plant should be referred. 10. dubium, Stereum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, No 74, 1335, 1925. Part of the type collection, ex “H. Hill, New Zealand” is in Kew herbarium. According to Mr. Derek Reid, of the herbarium staff, it is a species of Pleurotus with cystidiatc gills and globose spores. 11. ferrugineum, Stereum Fr. Under the cover of Hymenochaete rubiginosa in Kew herbarium, is a specimen ex “N.Z., Colenso, b. 153” which Cooke labelled S. ferrugineum and upon which was based Colenso's record (1886, 304). It is a collection of S. illudens. 12. frustulosum, Stereum (Pers.) Fr. Recorded by Colenso (1886, 304), the record being based on two collections ex “N.Z., Colenso, b. 252, b. 297′ in Kew herbarium so named by Cooke. On the sheet Lars Romell had labelled them S. rufum. Both are collections of Aleurodiscus berggreni (Cke.) G. H. Cunn. Lloyd (1925, 1336) also recorded the species from New Zealand; but his photograph (f. 3087) showed the plant to be A. berggreni. 13. hispidulum, Stereum (Berk) G. H. Cunn. The combination was given (1953, 284) for the species then known as Phlebia reflexa and its later synonym P. hispidula, described herein under Stereum strigoso-zonatum. 14. latissimum, Stereum Berk., Fl. N.Z., 2, 183, 1855. No type is in Kew herbarium. The scanty description suggests the species may have been a Sebacina. 15. leichkardtianum, Stereum (Lev.) Mass. Recorded by Lloyd (1917, 11) from a specimen ex “W. E. Barker, N.Z.” The record was based on a collection of S. lobatum, of which the species would appear to be a synonym. 16. lugubris, Stereum Cke. The type, ex “N.Z., Colenso, b 23” is a specimen of S. strigoso-zonatum. 17. membranaceum, Stereum Fr. Recorded for New Zealand by Lloyd (1920, 959) ex “G. H. Cunningham” and (1922, 1125) ex “James Mitchell” The former collection is of S. rameale. The latter has not been seen, but was either a specimen of S. rameale, or of S. illudens, several collections of which Lloyd named for Australian collectors S. membranaceum. 18. merismoides, Phlebia Fr. Recorded for New Zealand by Colenso (1886, 305). No specimens from the region are in Kew herbarium, the record probably being based on a specimen of S. strigoso-zonatum. 19. molle, Stereum Lev. Recorded for New Zealand by Lloyd (1922, 1123) on a collection ex “Miss H. K. Dalrymple”, which was of S. lobatum. 20. obliquum, Stereum Berk. & Mont Cooke referred to this species a collection in Kew herbarium, ex “Dry River, Wairarapa, T. Kirk, No. 144” It consists of several lacerated plants of S. affine. 21 ochroleucum, Stereum Fr. There are six collections from this region under the cover in Kew herbarium, some of which formed the basis of the record by Colenso (1890, 394) Of these “Wellington, T. Kirk, No. 26” and “N.Z., Colenso, b. 300” are specimens of a sterile Corticium: “On Panax arboreum, Colenso, b. 74”
is a specimen of Septobasidium simmondsu Couch; “N.Z., Colenso, b. 948”, labelled by Cooke Corticium spumeum, is a species of Septobasidium; “N.Z., Colenso, b. 19” is a specimen of Lopharia cinerascens; and “Crow's Nest, Ngaio, T. Kirk” is a specimen of Aleurodiscus mirabilis. 22. ostrea, Stereum (Blume & Nees) Fr. Recorded for New Zealand by Lloyd (1920, 959) ex “G. H. Cunningham”. The collection is of S. lobatum. 23. pannosum, Stereum Cke. Four collections from New Zealand are filed under this cover in Kew herbarium, namely “Waitaki, No. 342” (the type), “Dunedin, 315”, “Papakura, T. Kirk, 61” and “N.Z., Colenso, b. 906”. All are collections of S. illudens. The same specific name was later used by Cooke & Massee (Grev., 21, 38, 1892) for an Australian collection of S. bicolor (Pers.) Fr. 24. phaeum, Stereum Berk. The type, ex “Bay of Islands, J. D. Hooker” and other collections filed under this cover in Kew herbarium, are specimens of Hymenochaete villosa (Lev.) Bres. 25. rugosum, Stereum Pers. ex Fr. Recorded for New Zealand by Massee (1906, 33). No specimen from New Zealand is in Kew herbarium. 26. schomburgkii, Stereum Berk. Recorded for New Zealand by Lloyd (1920, 959) ex “G. H. Cunningham”. The type, ex “Port Darwin, Australia” was by Talbot (1954, 316) found to match the type of Thelephora (Stereum) fulva Lev., ex “Drege 9441, Cap-de-Bonne-Esperance” now in the Paris herbarium. Talbot placed the species under Stereum fulvum (Lev.) Sacc.; but as will be shown in a subsequent paper, it is a member of the genus Duportella. 27. sericeum, Stereum (Schw.) Morg. An insect-damaged specimen, ex “East Taieri, Otago, Nov., 1861, Dr. Lindsay”, placed under this cover in Kew herbarium by Berkeley, is of S. vellereum. 28. spadiceum, Stereum (Pers.) Fr. Recorded by Colenso (1893, 321) from New Zealand. No specimen from the region is in Kew herbarium. Two Australian collections filed under the cover in Kew herbarium are of S. lobatum. 29 subporiferum, Stereum Berk., in herb. Kew. The type, ex “Chatham Islands, Travers, No. 7” is a specimen of Lopharia cinerascens. 30. surinamense. Stereum Lev. Recorded for New Zealand by Lloyd (1920, 959) ex “G. H. Cunningham”. The record was based on a specimen of S. affine. 31. umbrinum, Stereum Berk. & Curt. = Lopharia vinosa (Berk.) G. H. Cunn. Literature Cited Berkeley, M. J., 1855. Hooker's Botany of the Antarctic Voyage, II. Flora Novae Zealandiae, 2, 172–210. Bresadola, J., 1916. Annales Mycologici, 14, 231–232. —— 1925. In Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum, 23, 1026 pp. Burt, E. A., 1920. Annals of the Missouri Botanic Garden, 7, 81–248. —— 1921. Annals of the Missouri Botanic Garden, 8, 394. Colenso, W., 1886. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 19, 301–310. —— 1890. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 23, 391–398. —— 1893. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 26, 320–323. Cunningham, G. H., 1953. Procedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 77, 275–299. Lloyd, C. G, 1913. Synopsis of the Stipitate Stereums, 14–44. —— 1917. Letter No. 65, 16 pp. —— 1920. Mycological Notes, No 63, 959. —— 1922. Mycological Notes, No. 66, 1114, 1123, 1125. —— 1924. Mycological Notes, No. 72, 1296. —— 1925. Mycological Notes, No. 74, 1336. Massee, G. E., 1906. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 39, 1–49. Stevenson, J. A. and Cash, E. K., 1936. Lloyd Library and Museum, Bulletin No. 35, 209 pp. Talbot, P. H. B, 1954. Bothalia, 6, 303–338. Welden, A. L., 1954. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 81, 422–439.
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Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 84, 1956-57, Page 201
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15,439Thelephoraceae of New Zealand. Parts IX, X and XI Part IX–The Genus Stereum Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 84, 1956-57, Page 201
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