Occasionally I collect together my notes on various groups and post them on the Fungal Network of New Zealand (FUNNZ) website 'MycoBlog'. These might be useful for identification.

Grey gelatinous blobs on wood
http://www.funnz.org.nz/MycoBlog/Grey-gelatinous-blobs-and-the-Yin-Yang-fungus

But see also records for Exidia nucleata, Tremella, Pseudostypella, Eichleriella, Helicobasidium, Leucogloeae compressa and Atractiellales.

White/cream pleurotus-like or Clitocybe-like mushrooms on wood
http://www.funnz.org.nz/MycoBlog/Pleurocollybia-cremea-Clitocybe-albida

Clitocybe albida is now in the new genus Rhizocybe. The Neoclitocybe in the notes is really an unamed Ossicaulis sp which I thought might be Pleurcollybia cremea until I examined the type. P. cremea seems quite rare in comparison.

Small white crepidotus-like fungi on wood
http://www.funnz.org.nz/MycoBlog/Cheimonophyllum-sensu-Segedin

One of these I since named Clitopilus kamaka.

Small brownish crepidotus-like fungi on wood, i.e. Resupinatus
http://www.funnz.org.nz/MycoBlog/Resupinatus-in-New-Zealand

Bondarzewia - a big yellow basal rot fungus of trees
http://www.funnz.org.nz/MycoBlog/Bondarzewia-in-New-Zealand

Sometimes mistaken for Laetiporus sulphureus. The two NZ species are being published - when the paper gets through the review process. The species on angiosperms is B. kirkii, and thespeces with gymnosperms B. propria.

Rhizopogon - truffles in pine plantations
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/93

Small brown mushrooms on wood that smell of garlic when crushed - Micromphale/Gymnopus
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/101

Powdery mildews in New Zealand
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/103

Mycena in NZ
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/110

Russula in New Zealand
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/112

Laccaria in New Zealand
http://www.funnz.org.nz/node/119

Paxillus is an ectomycorrhizal genus with introduced trees. Paxillus involutus was recently shown to be a species complex. See this record for more info ...
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1291556

So far in NZ we have confirmed P. cuprinus and P. ammoniavirescens, P. involutus and it is likely that we have P. obscurosporus (it is common in Australia). These are all commonly associated with introduced street/park trees. The real Paxillus involutus is not said to be associated with trees in urban environments in its home range, but we do have confirmed records. In general P. cuprinus appears to be associated with birch, alder and lime whereas P. ammoniavirescens favours oaks, poplars and conifers. P. involutus has been recorded with birch. Unfortunately P. obscurosporus is not so specific.

Excluding Hygrocybe!

Lichenomphalia is a genus of lichenised mushrooms. All the historical names used for the NZ species are incorrect and we have a number of undescribed ones. Here's a preliminary key reflecting my understanding of the genus in NZ together with other inamyloid-spored omphalinoid fungi which could be mistaken for Lichenomphalia.

Omphalina

Omphalina rivulicola aff.

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1441579

Possibly Omphalina pyxidata sensu NZ is a synonym and is a misapplication of the northern hemisphere O. pyxidata.

NZ material has a sequence match to O. antarctica. The species has been moved into .Arrhenia and has a drawing of the holotype looking somewhat different to this and the Genbank sequence a likely misidentification.

Omphalina wellingtonensis is described from New Zealand but is not a typical Omphalina in the modern sense. It looks superficially like Marasmius croceus/elegans but is more closely related to Mycena acicula (which is currently not correctly placed in Mycena)

Rickenella

Rickenella fibula

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/961400

Rickenella swartzii

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1365687

Lichenomphalia subgenus lichenomphalia

Lichenomphalia 'Cobb valley'

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1439272

Lichenomphalia subgenus protolichenomphalia

Lichenomphalia 'Otira Gorge'  

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1354682

This is  Lichenomphalia velutina sensu NZ, a misapplication. Some specimens of L. umbellifera ss NZ are also referable to this species. It is related to L. velutina/grisella of the northern hemisphere.

Lichenomphalia  'Lewis Pass'

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1439264

Lichenomphalia alpina ss NZ

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1439269

Lichenomphalia chromacea

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1439274

Cantharellula alpina Stevenson is a synonym. Horak (1971) A Contribution towards the Revision of the Agaricales (Fungi) from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany, v9, pp403-462 considered this to be a Hygrophoropsis but re-examination of the type indicates it is a good species of Lichenomphalia.

L. umbellifera sensu NZ is a misapplication of this species or L. sp. 'Otira'.

Key features for separating NZ species of Austropaxillus...

A. nothofagi
context yellowish-white, unchanging. Taste bitter. Hyphae clamped. spores over 11um
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1383853

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1383865

A. squarrosus
context yellowish to yellowish white, turning red. Taste bitter. Hyphae unclamped. spores under 10um
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1353979

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1072153

A. macnabii
context white, unchanging. Taste bitter. Hyphae unclamped. spores under 10um
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1061963

Historically known in NZ as Phaeogyroporus portentosus. The genus Pheogyroporus is now generally considered to be a synonym of Phlebopus. Watling & Gregory considered Phlebopus marginatus and Phlebopus (Phaeogyroporus) portentosus to be synonyms, in which case the correct name would be the oldest available legitimate name, which is P. portentosus . P. portentosus was described from Sri Lanka and P. marginatus from Western Australia. It is clear from available sequences there are multiple species involved, although the sequences may not cover all taxa in each area. The New Zealand species is different to the Asian species and therefore is probably not P. portentosus. EU718109 (REH8883) is from Australia (NSW - http://mycoportal.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=141910&clid=0) and may represent P. marginatus. The Australian species is not the same as P. portentosus from Asia or the New Zealand species. Africa also has a different species. New Zealand material is most closely related to the Australian P. marginatus but there is sufficient difference in Australia/New Zealand sequences to consider them different species (92% similarity), and the NZ taxon needs a new name. The morphology needs checking to see if there are any detectable and stable differences, and if the Australian & Asian sequences really do represent P. marginatus and the Sri Lankan P. portentosus.

See record ...
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1387529

Distinguishing characters for the genera are ...

Crucibulum: receptacle cylindrical, with cap when you, eggs dull white, with short cord attached to eggs. Cyathus: receptacle cone shaped, with cap when young, eggs dark brown/black, with long cord attached to eggs. Nidula: cylindrical or cone shaped, with cap, eggs in gelatinous matrix, no cord attached to eggs. Nidularia: receptacle round shaped, no cap, eggs light brown in gelatinous matrix, no cord attached to eggs.

Examples of the New Zealand species:

Some with incorrect identified I think.

Crucibulum simile https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1005388, https://inaturalist.nz/observations/965403

Cyathus striatus https://inaturalist.nz/observations/964546

Cyathus olla https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1365620

Cyathus stercoreus - a blackish species on dung. Not yet recorded on NW. https://scd.landcareresearch.co.nz/Specimen/PDD%20100042

Cyathus novae-zeelandiae is probably same as C. striatus. The reported differences are that C. nz is supposed to be ridged to only about halfway down the cup and in C. striatus the ridges go all the way. In C. nz the spores are reported to be 7-12um wide and in C. nz only 5-6um wide. The outer surface of C. nz black. I suspect all these differences are just developmental. Cyathus colensoi and C. hookeri are probably just different stages of development of C. olla. C. hookeri was originally described from India. Sequenced collections labelled C. colensoi from India and C. hookeri from China have been shown to be the same as  C. olla from Canada, China and USA (in my opinion). (Zhao et al, Mycologia, v99, pp385-395, 2007).

Nidula candida https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1003207 Note the outer surface of cup is white and not tan. Receptacle usually 4-6mm high.

Nidula niveotomentosa https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1001251  Note the outer surface of cup is tan and not white. Receptacle usually 10-15mm high.

Nidularia deformis https://inaturalist.nz/observations/965456

Update: 4th Jan 2023. This entry is now out of date. Current sequence data suggests all  NZ records of 'C. laeve', whether from natural or indigenous habitats, are the same species and it is not the northern C. laeve. The correct name for the NZ species is C. simile, and it is an indigenous species. Cythus olla, Cyathus stercoreus and Nidularia deformis are all confirmed by sequence and all are probable introductions. Above I suggested C. nz and C. striatus were synonyms, and that was subsequently supported in this paper: Molecular systematics and taxonomic overview of the bird's nest fungi (Nidulariaceae) - ScienceDirect. However, recent sequencing of another collection labelled C. nz indicates it is not the same as C. striatus. The data suggest PDD 76442 (cited in the paper as as C. nz) was incorecctly identified and is really C. striatus. So, the current data indicate we do have the indigenous Cyathus novae-zeelandiae as well as the introduced Cyathus striatus and I was incorrect about the synonymy. C. nz does seem to have a black outer covering and different sized spores, but more sequenced-based sampling is neeed to clarify the morphological boundaries because intermediates seem to exist. The degree of striation/ridges inside the cup does not seem to be relevent. Our version of Nidula niveotomentosa is also incorrectly named and not the same as the original species from the USA. It needs a new name. A recombination of  the NZ name Crucibulum vulgare var. lanosum  would be appropriate (as Nidula lanosum). NZ material of  Nidula candida remains to be sequenced and I suspect some confusion needs unravelling with the use this name in NZ. So, from a phylogenetic perspective, NZ Bird's Nest Fungi remain a work in progress.

In 1968 Ross McNabb published a revision of our boletes in the New Zealand Journal of Botany, volume 6, pp137-176. In that revision he noted for the first time the occurrence of Xerocomus chrysenteron, the red-cracked bolete, as an ectomycorrhizal associate of a number of introduced broad-leaf trees. In the years since a number of similar looking fungi have also been reported such as Xerocomus pruinatus, X. badius and X. porosporus and I thought I had collected a number of them. Relatively recently in Europe molecular work has clarified species concepts in the group. As part of recent work towards a new revision of our boletes many of my collections in this group were sequenced. Very surprisingly nearly all the collections of different 'species' sequenced so far correspond to just a single recently described (recognised) species, X. cisalpinus. This was described from Italy and subsequently found in other European countries. The variability we have for this species seems to exceed that reported in its home territory and may explain some of the reports of other species in NZ (it certainly misled me). These could still turn out to be different species with very similar 'barcode' sequences, but what is certain is that they are not the same as the European X. chrysenteron , X. pruinatus, X. porosporus or X. badius and the appropriate name is X. cisalpinus.

It is quite hard to distinguish our variable X. cisalpinus from related species but the consistent character is the faint striations on the spores. It can only be seen using an oil immersion objective at 1000x, and even then when the spore is oriented at just the right angle (or using Differential Interference Optics).But if a lot of spores are viewed the striations are usually quite apparent. Sequencing has confirmed we do also have some other related species, specifically X. ripariellus and X. bubalinus. If the spores are truncated (only observable on mature spores) then X. porosporus is a possibility but there are no confirmed records so far.

The Large Subunit tree with all these species is attached to ...
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390152

Variability in X. cisalpinus

JAC9271 with Tilia - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390126

JAC12731 with Tilia - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390141

JAC9272 with Betula - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390128

JAC10447 with Fagus - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1351349

JAC12880 with Quercus - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390149

JAC9074 with Cedrus - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390130

JAC9484 with cedrus - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390136

JAC9075 with Cedrus - https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1390152

The striation in the spores can be seen in the image associated with ...
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/1361053