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Go to the NZFungi website for more indepth information on Russula novae-zelandiae. Russula novae-zelandiae

Biostatus

Present in region - Indigenous. Endemic

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Owner: Herb. PDD

Caption: FUNNZ: 2006/0003, See public note for more information
Owner: FUNNZ

Owner: P. Leonard

Caption: Dried type specimen
Owner: Herb PDD
 

Article: McNabb, R.F.R. (1973). Russulaceae of New Zealand. 2. Russula Pers. ex S.F. Gray. New Zealand Journal of Botany 11(4): 673-730 (http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php).
Description: pileus: 4.5-10 cm diam., hemispherical when young, centrally depressed at maturity,-viscid, glabrous, velar remnants absent, dark brown to dark reddish brown in centre, paling to honey, yellowish brown, creamy brown, or pallid ochraceous at margins with ridges typically darker than intervening grooves, often entirely .yellowish brown under wet conditions; margins thin, entire or dentate, often splitting radially, conspicuously pectinate for 1-1.5 cm. Cuticle often separating between adjacent ridges at margin, composed of repent, obliquely ascending, or occasionally erect hyphae and pilocystidia becoming disorganised and heavily gelatinised with age; hyphae interwoven, thin-walled, septate, 2-4.5 µm diam., terminal cells unspecialised; pilocystidia numerous, fusiform to cylindrical, thin-walled, apices rounded to acuminate, often capitulate, contents slightly refractive in KOH, of variable length, 5-9 µm diam. lamellae: adnexed to adnate, crowded, moderately thin, simple or forked near stipe, to 8 mm deep, pallid creamy white, typically discoloured with numerous brownish spots and stains at maturity, lamellulae occasionally present. stipe: 2.5-7 cm long, ± equal or slightly expanded basally, 1-2 cm diam., chambered or hollow at maturity, dry, finely felted to subvelutinate under lens, chalk white to sordid white, typically with brownish stains; flesh sordid white to pallid brownish white, unchanging on exposure to air. Cuticle composed of interwoven hyphae 2.5-5 µm diam., often aggregated into clumps; caulocystidia sparse, similar to pilocystidia. spores: spore print creamy white; spores broadly elliptical, obliquely apiculate, apiculus to 2 µm long, 9.5-11.5-(12.5) X 8.5-10 µm, ornamentation of moderately dense, amyloid, truncated spines or verrucae to 1.3 µm high, isolated, in small confluent groups, or joined by fine amyloid ridges and forming a partial reticulum; plage inconspicuous. hymenium: basidia hyaline, clavate, 45-70 X 9-15 µm, 4-spored, sterigmata to 7 µm long, pleurocystidia scattered, numerous, fusiform to subclavate, hyaline, thin-walled, contents slightly refractive in KOH, projecting to 35 µm beyond basidia, apices mucronate, strangulate, or capitulate, 50-115 X 7-12 µm, cheilo-cystidia similar to pleurocystidia but shorter. hymenophoral trama: heteromerous, intermixed, context of pileus: white, sordid white, or pallid brownish white, unchanging; structure heteromerous, clamp connections absent. taste: lamellae and context mild. chemical characters: Formalin on context—n.r.; phenol on context—slowly deep vinaceous; FeSO4 on context—rapidly salmon pink; guaiacol on stipe base—rapidly brick red, darkening with time; KOH on pileus—darkening; on context—n.r.; NH4OH on pileus and context—n.r.
Habitat: Gregarious under Leptospermum and Nothofagus.
Notes: There is among the collections examined some variation in spore ornamentation and presence of pilocystidia in the cuticle.The species belongs to section Ingratae, subsection Foetentinae of Singer (1962).