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species of the genus Porina — namely, P. cervinata Walk. (23), P. signata 

 Walk (24), or P. umbraculata Guen. (8). At present we have no ascer- 

 tained constant structural characters by which to distinguish these larvae. 

 The insect is far too small for a larva of Porina enysii Butl. (5) — at any 

 rate, for a full-grown one. 



4. Cordyceps Robertsii Hook., Fl. N.Z., vol. 2, p. 202, 1855 (emended). 

 (Plate LXI, figs. 1, 2; and text-figs. 5, 6.) 



? Sphaeria larvarum, Westw., Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond., vol. 2, p. 6, 

 1836. Sphaeria Robertsii Hook., Icon. PL, vol. 1, t. 11, 1837. 

 S. Hugelii Corda, Icon., vol. 4, 44 F, p. 129, 1840. S. Forbesii 

 Berk, in Lond. Jour. Bot., vol. 7, p. 578, 1848. Torrubia Robertsii 

 Tul., Sel. Fung. Carp., vol. 3, p. 6, t. 1, 1865. Cordyceps Selkirkii 

 Olliff in Ag. Gaz. N.S.W., vol. 6. p. 411, 1895 ? C. Coxii Olliff, I.e. 

 C. larvarum (Westw.) Olliff, I.e. 

 Isarial stage unknown. 



Stroma slender, 10-38 cm. long ; fertile portion 6-12 cm. long, 3-4 mm. 

 thick, acute, densely covered with superficial perithecia, which reach to 

 apex of stem ; brown, becoming black with age ; sterile portion slender, 

 5-15 cm. long, 2-3 mm. thick, same colour as fertile portion. 



[Drawn by E. 11. Atkinson. 

 Cordyceps Robertsii Hook. 



Fig. 5. — Transverse section through fertile portion of stroma. 



Fig. 6. — A. Perithecium (enlarged). B. Capitate apex of ascus (note constriction below 

 cap). C. Base of ascus. D. Secondary spores, 5-6 x 3 fi. 



Perithecia superficial, small, elongate-obovate or elliptical, densely 

 packed around central axis, easily separable ; dark brown, composed of 

 coarse hyphal threads ; 600-880 X 300-400 /x ; wall thick, 30-50 /x. 



Asci hyaline, narrowly cylindrical, tapering slightly towards distal end, 

 markedly towards proximal end, terminating in a long slender pedicel ; 

 slightly constricted below capitate apex ; 280-400 X 9-10 /x. 



Spores in parallel fascicles, filiform, equally thick throughout, bluntly 

 pointed, multiseptate, 280 x 3 //. ; secondary spores 5-6 X 3 fx, not readily 

 separable in asci. 



Hosts. — Porina enysii Butl. ; P. dinodes Meyr. Growing usually from 

 head, rarely from anal region. (Plate LX, fig. 2 ; Plate LXII, fig 1.) 



Type Locality. — Given in Icones Plantarum as " N.Z." 



Distribution. — More or less general throughout the North Island. 

 Specimens have been recorded from the following localities : Rotorua 



