Taxonomic Aspects of the Fungal Family Hyaloscyphaceae (Ascomycetes: Leotiales)

Abstract

Members of the fungal family Hyaloscyphaceae (Leotiales) were collected from various habitats and substrates in New Zealand. Only freshly collected specimens were used in this study, and all were examined and compared with the species described in Spooner's (1987) work on Hyaloscyphaceae from Australasia. Complete and thorough descriptions of each specimen were made, as were line drawings of ascospores, hairs, paraphyses and asci. Many new observations were made in this study, both at the generic and species level. Numerous specimens were not able to be keyed out at the generic level using Spooner's (1987) key to the genera previously known from Australasia. There were also a number of specimens which keyed out easily at the generic level but were not conspecific with any of the species treated by Spooner (1987). A few specimens were able to be placed at the species level using other keys (eg Haines key to species of Lachnum (=Dasyscyphus) found on tropical ferns, 1980), also at the generic level some specimens were successfully identified using other generic keys (eg Korf 1973). Those specimens not in Spooner's (1987) work, but successfully identified using other keys can probably be assumed to be new records for the Australasian region. However a number of specimens (both at generic and species level) were not able to be keyed successfully, with any of the available generic or species keys, these need to be studied further and may include species new to science.