Recorded host-parasite relations are given in the following table:—

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swollen, septate hyphae, and lines the whole of the apothecium except for the part beneath the cortex.

The ascus is eight spored, and behind each spore there is a plug or wad. When ripe the spores occupy about half of the ascus and, if fresh material is mounted in water, the ripe asci explode violently and discharge the spores. In water the spores are liable to burst. The spores are dark, sub-globose, and measure about 12μ in diameter. They are of little value, at present, for purposes of identification because they show little difference between species, but records show great variation in size, probably depending on the method of mounting and state of maturity. For example, spores of C. hookeri are variously given as 10 × 15; 12–14 × 10–13; and 16 × 19μ; similar discrepancies occur in descriptions of other species. Paraphyses are septate, branched, usually expanded at the tip and often brightly coloured. Spores are discharged in visible clouds from ripe asci. Spore discharge may be demonstrated readily

Fig. 1.—L.S. of young stromata. 1. Cyttaria gunnii. 2. Cyttaria nigra. 3. Cyttaria pollida. 4. Cyttaria moorei. M, medulla; P, papilla; C, cortical layer; A, apothecium; F, fibres; T. cartilaginous tube; I, incrustations.

by breathing on the ripe fruit bodies; the spore print is black in all New Zealand species.

(c) Medulla.

In the young stroma the central part is occupied by an interwoven gelatinous mass of hyphae. The hyphae become directional near the internal fibres and around the apothecia. At maturity, in most species, the central mass disintegrates and the space beneath the apothecia becomes filled with air. C. berteroi, C. espinosae and C. hookeri are said to remain solid and have no central cavity.

(d) The Internal Fibres.

Characteristic internal structures have been variously termed “nerves” or “fibres”. It is here considered that they represent remnants of the cortex of the individual apothecia enclosed during the fusion into a compound stroma. The term “fibres” is retained.

Running up from the point of attachment through the short basal portion is a tube of cartilaginous mycelium from which branches radiate and pass between the apothecia to the cortex. In New Zealand species the tube enlarges to a mushroom-shaped head in the centre of the stroma and the fibres radiate from this. In other species the fibres anastomose; in C. septentrionalis they appear to be flattened and anastomosing. In other species again the fibres appear to be lacking. The central tube may pull out when the stroma drops from the tree; this frequently happens with C. nigra. The fibres may be white and shining or variously coloured; they end just before reaching the cortex, where they expand to form cavities, coinciding, approximately, with similar cavities formed beneath the papillae.

(e) The Papillae.

Papillae, which provide a feature of considerable diagnostic value, arise between the apothecia (but before these are formed) and at, or near, the ends of the internal fibres. They surround a pore opening to the surface from a cavity beneath the cortex.

In the few examples of C. septentrionalis available for study, papillae are absent, but where the fibres reach the cortex small simple holes may be seen.

In C. gunnii the papillae are situated in shallow depressions and barely reach to the level of the general surface. In C. pallida papillae form very pronounced elevations in young specimens and are sharply conical, while in C. nigra they are large and dome-shaped.

The presence and diagnostic value of papillae appears to have been largely overlooked, although Fischer (1888) records that the fibres (nerves) “break through the skin” in C. darwinii. He also records similar “perforations” in C. hookeri.

It is possible to identify the New Zealand species from the papillae alone even in very small young specimens. The function, if any, of papillae is not clear, although they may serve to admit air through the cortex to the fibres during the period of rapid increase in size, just prior to maturity and may by the same means, prevent collapse during dry periods. Another function may be the production of the black substance in young stromata of C. nigra or of slime in C. pallida.

(f) Pycnidia.

Berkeley (1841) recorded the presence of black granules on the base of C. darwinii stromata which he described as “granulated like shagreen”. Fischer (1888) interpreted these granules as being ‘spermogonia’ while others have referred to them as pycnidia or pycnoconidangia. They are small, black spherical bodies measuring from 95 × 90μ in C. harioti to 180 × 264μ in C. johowii; they are superficial or immersed in the pseudoperidium. They are present in C. hookeri but absent from C. berteroi. C. espinosae is covered with a black substance when young but is said not to produce pycnidia. Similarly C. septentrionalis and C. nigra are covered by black granulations when young; these are taken to be pycnidia, but the condition

The galls are small in proportion to the diameter of the branch or stem, as compared with those of C. nigra; they usually occupy about two-thirds of the circumference of the branch and are flattened slightly at the point of origin. When a branch is completely girdled the upper part may die, in which case the death of the gall may follow.

In contrast to C. nigra, galls on the main stem take the form of rope-like encircling bands; for example one sapling of 1½ in d.b.h. had three galls, at 3ft, 4ft 2in. and 5ft 6in from the ground. The lowest was 2in high and 12in in circumference, leaving 1in of bark unaffected, the middle gall was 1½ in high and 10in in circumference, and the highest was 1½ in high and 11in in circumference. The last two galls completely encircled the stem. See Plate 12 C.

The surface of the gall appears smooth, but if the bark is removed the wood is found to be very uneven, being contorted and produced into sharp spines, the tips of which split into fibres which penetrate through the bark. It is from these points that the stromata develop. The scar left on the gall when the fructification falls is a white circular spot, with, in many cases, the remains of the central tube of fibres which pulls out of the stroma.

2. Cyttaria nigra sp. nov. Plate 10 B, C.

Fungus in Nothofago menziesii parasiticus.

Stromata solitaria vel dense aggregata, ad 2 cm dimetro, pyriformia, pusulata, robiginosa, sicca, atra vel interdum aurescentia sed mature adusta. Basis sterilis, adusta, striata, plicata compressa; demum cava; nervis internis flavis saepe contorta. Apothecia permulta usque ad CC, alba. Papillae magnae, exstantes, inter apothecia dispersae, fornicatae, super stromata elatae. Pycnidia (?) in tota superficia densa. Pycnidiosporas non vidi. Asci 132–150μ longi 15μ lati. Ascosporae 9.5–12.5μ longae 8–12μ latae caducae in chartam albam atrae. Paraphyses ascos longitudine aequantes, 2μ lati septati ramulosi extremis tumidulis.

Stromata solitary or in dense clusters, up to 2 cm diam, pear shaped, shagreened with black incrustations, dry, black or black and gold, becoming pallid nigger brown. Sterile base undifferentiated, nigger brown, striate, pleated and compressed. Hollow at maturity, internal fibres yellow to orange, often contorted. Apothecia very numerous, up to 200 or more, pallid white. Papillae large, prominent, scattered between apothecia, dome shaped, elevated above surface of stroma. Pycnidia (?) profuse over entire surface, pycnospores not seen (the identity of bodies termed pycnidia is doubtful). Asci 132–150 × 15μ, ascospores subglobose 9.5–12.5 × 8–12μ dark coloured in mass, spore print black. Paraphyses as long as asci, 2μ wide, septate, freely branched, swollen at ends.

An obligate parasite on Nothofagus menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst, in New Zealand, causing large globose galls.

Range, recorded from Southland to Lake Taupo in north. Type collection from Woodlaw State Forest, October, 1946, in Forest Research Institute herbarium; specimens at Plant Diseases Division of D.S.I.R. Auckland.

C. nigra comes nearest to C. espinosae Lloyd, but differs from it in colour, internal fibres and shape of apothecia. Both species have a smell resembling apricots. Galls of C. nigra resemble those of C. harioti. Sporophores of C. nigra occur about the same time as those of C. gunnii; the first shedding of spores in 1946 was noted on October 10. The galls are distinguished from those of C. gunnii by their large size in relation to the diameter of the host stem, and their greater height in proportion to diameter. One sapling of 3in d.b.h. had a gall at 8ft from the ground, 30in in circumference and 7in high, completely encircling the stem. This was separated by only 2in from another, 26in in circumference and encircling the stem except for a space of lin.

Relatively larger galls are found on larger trees; galls of 3ft or more in diameter are frequent. Where the upper part of the attacked tree or branch dies, globose galls of a foot or more in diameter are common.

When the bark is removed the gall is seen to differ from C. gunnii in that the spines are very short and less numerous, they arise from bluntly rounded projections on the surface of the gall. The scar left when the fructification falls is orange in colour and may retain the orange cartilaginous tube from the stroma.

3. Cyttaria pallida

sp. nov. Plate 10 A.

Fungus in Nothofago menziesii parasiticus, ramos caulesque ulceribus fusiformibus deformans. Stromata nonnunquam solitaria saepius duo in ordines coacta vel in unicum ordinem, ad 1.5 cm lata subglobosa, paululum complanata, levia, omnino leucochracea simillimaque argillae, valde viscida, basi curta, occulta, amorpha; matura cava; nervis internis albis basim versus aurantiacis. Apothecia pauca ad L, subaurantiaca. Papillae inter apothecia ordinatim dispositae coniformes supra stromatis curvaturam exstantes. Pycnidia desunt. Asci 150μ–167μ longi 14μ lati. Ascosporae subglobosae 7.5–12.5μ longae, 7.5–9.5μ crassae; acervatae suffuscae; in chartam albam caducae atrae. Paraphyses ascis breviores 100μ longi 2μ lati septati ramulosi.

Stromata solitary, or in single or double rows, up to 1.5 cm diam. sub-globose, somewhat flattened, smooth, uniform dirty white (clay coloured), extremely viscid. Base short, hidden, undifferentiated. Hollow at maturity, internal fibres white, orange at base. Apothecia few, up to 50, dull orange yellow. Papillae uniformly distributed between apothecia, conical, elevated above surface of stroma. Pycnidia absent. Asci 150–167 × 14μ ascospores sub-globose, 7.5–12.5 × 7.5–9.5μ, dark-coloured in mass, spore print black. Paraphyses shorter than asci, 100 × 2μ, septate, branched.

An obligate parasite on Northofagus menziesii (Hook. f.) Oerst., in New Zealand causing large spindle shaped galls. Range, Southland northward to Ohakune. Type collection in Forest Research Institute herbarium, collected at Woodlaw State Forest, October, 1946; specimens at Plant Diseases Division, D.S.I.R., Auckland.

C. pallida appear to be nearest to the South American species C. berteroi Berk., but differs from it in colour, size, hollow mature stroma, internal fibres and length of paraphyses.

The first sporophores were seen in Southland in 1946, somewhat later than those of C. gunnii; spore discharge was noted on October 24.

The galls are of an entirely different type from those of C. gunnii or C. nigra. On twigs they appear as longitudinal rows of pimples erupting through the bark, and from these the sporophores arise singly. These galls spread and cause twisting of the branches, which become swollen and brittle; many branches die, others suffer from breakage due to wind. In large trees the crown becomes thin and the branches distorted.

The most striking deformity results from the fungus attacking a small shoot on the trunk of a sapling; in this case the fungus spreads down the twig and attacks the trunk. At first a ridge is formed beneath the bark, as growth proceeds the ridge divides into two and the final result is a paddle-shaped gall. As an example, a sapling of 1½ in d b.h. had a gall extending 1ft above and 3ft below the source of infection, which was a small twig on the trunk. The canker was 3in wide and the stem three-quarters encircled. The same stem had several such cankers of larger or smaller size and the upper part had been killed by the attack. See Plate 12 B.

In these paddle-shaped galls the central area may be dead, covered by pimples, or may appear to be normal bark. Most of the sporophores occupy the margins of the galls.

4. Cyttaria septentrionalis Herbert. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, Vol. 41, No. 13, p. 158–161, 1930.

Herbert (1930) described C. septentrionalis as follows:—

“Stromata gregaria, globosa, 5–7 cm diam, demum cava, superficie ubique locellata, flava; locellis 3 mm latis; ascis cylindraceis 170–210μ longis, 17μ latis, octosporis, non stipitatis; sporidiis globosis. 15μ diam, paraphysibus filiformibus; species edulis. Hab in summo monte Hobwee, ad ramos vivos Nothofagi moorei, September, 1929.”

To this description it may be added that the young stromata are shagreened with a black pitchy substance (pycnidia?). Simple pores open to the exterior between the apothecia and raised papillae are absent. The internal fibres are well developed; they are plate-like and irregularly anastomosing. The galls are spindle-shaped in the specimens kindly collected for me on Mt. Hobwee by J. de B. G. Groome. Janet M. Wilson (1937) states that the galls are long and narrow or short and round, so that two species on N. moorei may be involved.

Herbert (1930) does not describe the galls but conveys the impression that they are globose; his material was collected from the MacPherson Ranges. Material used