VIRTUAL MYCOTA: NZ Fungi Identification: Weraroa virescens

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Weraroa virescens

Synonyms

Secotium virescens
Secotium superbum

Biostatus

Present in region - Indigenous. Endemic

Images (click to enlarge)


Owner: J.A. Cooper	Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: Weraroa virescens Owner: Kaimai Bush	Caption: Weraroa virescens Owner: Kaimai Bush
Caption: Weraroa novaezelandiae (top), W. erythrocephala (left), and W. virescens (right). Owner: R.E. Beever	Owner: Herb. PDD	Caption: Watercolour Owner: G.M. Taylor	Caption: Weraroa virescens: 7511: see photo, bright blue with brown gleba Owner: Greg Mueller
Caption: FUNNZ photo Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: FUNNZ photo Owner: J.A. Cooper	Caption: Col. DAO 2085, FUNNZ: 2006/0158, See public note for more information Owner: FUNNZ	Caption: ZT0568 Owner: E. Horak: © Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand
Caption: top: chryso pilocystidia, and spores Owner: J.A. Cooper

Article: Cooke, M.C. (1890). Fungi of New Zealand. Grevillea 19(90): 47-49.
Description: Peridium ovate, apex acute, basal portion at first attached to the stem, becoming free and expanding, wall coriaceous, even, smooth and shining, pale green ; stem below basal attachment of peridium short, incrassated, tapering upwards, solid, smooth and even, yellowish at the base; gleba bright ferruginous orange, cavities small, sub-equal and regular, septa thin ; basidia large, clavate tetrasporous, sterigmata slender, elongated ; spores elliptic-oblong, smooth, bright rusty-orange, 18-20 x 7-8 µ.
Notes: Peridium 3 x 2 c.m., stem below basal margin of peridium, -5 c.m. long.
Resembling S. acuminatum in shape, but smaller, and differing in colour, polished peridium, and more especially in the spores. A portion of the type specimen of A. acuminatus sent by Montagne to Berkeley has pale olive, broadly elliptical spores measuring 5-6 x 4 µ.

Article: Cunningham, G.H. (1924). A critical revision of the Australian and New Zealand species of the genus Secotium. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 49(2): 97-119.
Description: Peridium pallid sage-green, ovate or broadly conical, apex obtusely acuminate, base abruptly rounded, slightly or not excavated, 2-3 cm. high, 2-2.5 cm. broad, coriaceous, glabrous, shining, with occasional longitudinal furrows, margin lacerate, somewhat decurrent; drying dull green. Stipe greyish-white, short (almost obsolete in the specimen examined), about 5 mm. long, hollow, smooth, glabrous, tapering from base to apex; columella slightly expanded at the apex. Gleba ferruginous, cellular, cells regular, laterally compressed, 2-3 mm. long, dissepiments thin, enclosed within a dense purplish-brown layer within the wall of the peridium. Spores smooth, pallid ferruginous, elliptical, ends bluntly pointed, 15-18 -x 7-8 µ (Massee 18-20 x 7-8 µ; Cleland 14.5-16 x 8 µ), epispore thin.
Habitat: Habitat.-Solitary on the ground in rain forest.
Notes: This species is characterised by the colour of the peridium and gleba, short, almost obsolete stipe and the large size of the spores. The plant somewhat resembles the preceding [Secotium superbum]
I am indebted to Dr. Cleland for the loan of the specimen from which the above description has been drawn up. In a note accompanying the specimen he fias given details as to the colour, shape and size of the peridium when collected, and these have been incorporated in the above description.
This species was originally described from material forwarded to Kew by Colenso. It is apparently rare, for, with the exception of one collection made by the late Mr. T. Kirk, Dr. Cleland's plant is the only collection made since the species was described.

Article: Cunningham, G.H. (1924). A critical revision of the Australian and New Zealand species of the genus Secotium. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 49(2): 97-119.
Description: Peridium azure, sage-green or sea-green, sometimes mottled with pallid spots, conical, apex sharply acuminate, base strongly excavated, truncate, or more frequently margin decurrent, up to 8 cm. high, and 4 cm. wide, at first pruinose, becoming glabrous, polished and slightly viscid; drying dull green or olivaceous. Stipe bright yellow, stout, up to 5 cm. long, and 12 nnm. wide, tapering from base to apex, smooth, shining, hollow; columella slightly thickened at the apex. Gleba ferruginous, cellular, cells 2-4 mm. long, laterally compressed, dissepiments thin. Spores smooth, pallid ferruginous, ovate or elliptical, one end rounded, the other pointed, frequently shortly pedicellate, 14-18 x 6-8 µ, epispore thin.
Habitat: Habitat.-Solitary on the ground in grassy places in the forest.
Notes: The large conical peridium, stout yellow stipe and large smooth spores characterise this species. It closely resembles the following species [Secotium columella], but is separated on account of the shape and large size of the peridium It is a magnificent species, the azure peridium and yellow stipe being very conspicuous. The base of the peridium does not as a rule separate from the stipe, but remains closely pressed to it. This is one of the largest species known, and should be readily determined on this account.