Report: 21st New Zealand Fungal Foray, Masterton

By Jerry Cooper (with some additions by Barbara Paulus)

A complete species list can be downloaded here.

Statistics:

708 records were added to the FUNNZ database

c.f. 682 records on the 2006 FUNNZ foray

The 708 records represent 387 taxa

c.f. 253 taxa on the 2006 FUNNZ foray

588 collections were added to the PDD national collection

c.f. 335 PDD collections on the 2006 FUNNZ foray

The sites:

The Mt Holdsworth site provided by far the most collections:

Mt Holdsworth (289), Kiriwhakapapa (79), Waiohine Gorge (74), Fensham Reserve(62), Mt Bruce (59), Lowe’s Bush (31), Pigeon Bush (24), Carter Scenic Reserve (23).

Assessment using DOC criteria for conservation status:

We had 2 records of fungi currently classed as Nationally Critical:

Russula papakaiensis was collected by Di Batchelor from the Mt Holdsworth site. The record was confirmed by Pat Leonard.

Chalciporis aurantiacus was collected by David Orlovich, also from the Mt Holdsworth site. The record was confirmed by Jerry Cooper. This fungus has turned up sporadically on forays and is perhaps best described as rare rather than critical.

We added data for 32 taxa currently listed as ‘Data Deficient’:

Agaricus oligocystis
Botryohypochnus isabellinus
Campanella olivaceonigra
Cheimonophyllum candidissimum
Collybia vinacea
Cortinarius alboserrulatus
Cortinarius rotundisporus subsp. nothofagi
Cortinarius ursus
Dermocybe cardinalis
Dermocybe purpurata
Entoloma canoconicum
Entoloma melanocephalum
Entoloma pluteimorphum
Entoloma sulphureum
Gliophorus lilacipes
Gloiocephala nothofagi
Hohenbuehelia metuloidea
Hygrocybe blanda
Hygrocybe cerinolutea
Hygrocybe miniata
Marasmiellus violaceogriseus
Melanotus vorax
Mycena sanguinolenta
Omphalina foetida sensu G. Stev.
Pleuroflammula praestans
Pluteus minor
Ramaria samuelsii
Rhodocybe piperita
Simocybe phlebophora
Thaxterogaster epiphaeus
Trechispora regularis

Poorly known or new to New Zealand:

Several species were added to the New Zealand list, or were so poorly known they were only represented by a single collection in PDD. Some of these are records of European and North American exotic fungi (and some require confirmation). A number of Crepidotus and Tubaria species were recorded that correspond to new species to be described in a forthcoming volume of New Zealand Fungi by Egon Horak. And similarly a number of Gymnopilus species were recorded that will be described by David Orlovich.

Amongst the remainder poorly known NZ taxa the following are notable:

Cystolepiota hetieri (new record)

Dendrothele biapiculata (type only)
This species is only known from New Zealand and Argentina. It belongs to a genus of resupinate fungi that has been reported to be particularly diverse in New Zealand compared to the Northern Hemisphere. Dendrothele biapiculata has distinctive D-shaped spores.

Mycena detrusa aff.
This unusual tiny Mycena has turned up a number of times on forays. It has an orange colour and a distinctly parabolic cap. It is clearly in the ‘picta’ group and has been mistakenly referred to Mycena mamaku and Marasmius cylindrocampanulatus. It is closest to Egon Horak’s Mycena detrusa described from Papua New Guinea but differs in its cheilocystidia.

Neoclitocybe byssiseda (new record)
Probably common but not previously recorded.

Tetrapyrgos olivaceonigra (type only)
This is a tiny fungus with the appearance of a Campanella (sensu stricto, i.e. with gills reduced to folds) but surprisingly with pyramidal shaped spores. Recent molecular work places Tetrapyrgos as an adjacent clade to Campanella. Singer treats them all as Campanella as does Tom May. The fungus has been recorded in Australia.

Hyphodontia alutaria (new record)
This is a resupinate species with a cosmopolitan distribution that has been rarely reported from South America and only recently from Australia (Lepp 2004). It is similar to a paleo-tropical species (H. propinqua), distinguished primarily by smaller spores and fewer cystidial septa.

Melanotus vorax (type only)

Resupinatus huia (type only)

Scytinostromella heterogena (new record)
This is a distinctive, resupinate species with a delicate, buff fruiting body. It has a dimitic hyphal system and small ellipsoid, ornamented spores that turn blue in Melzer's reagent. It has been reported previously from France, Morocco, Ethiopia and India.

Crinipellis filiformis (1 record)
This looks like C. procera but is very much smaller and growing on leaves rather than wood. The limited number of records suggests it may be a specialist of Beilschmiedia litter.

Bourdotia galzinii (1 record)
This resupinate fungus in the order Tremellales has a cosmopolitan distribution and is characterized by a resupinate, waxy-gelatinous fruiting body, stalked, septate basidia, long, slender gloeocystidia and finely branched, sterile elements. Resupinate members of Tremellales are abundant in New Zealand forests but require further study.

Hamatocanthoscypha ocellata (new record)