On Cerocorticium P. Henn., a genus described from Java

In 1899, P. Hennings described a new genus of ‘Thelephoraceae’, viz. Cerocorticium, based on two specimens collected by E. Nyman and M. Fleischer on Java. According to him these specimens represented two different species of his new genus. The descriptions Hennings gave of the genus and the two species are rather poor and incorrect. His diagnosis of the genus runs: ‘Resupinato-effusum, subgelatinosum, sicco ceraceum. Hymenium glabrum, laeve. Basidia conferta, subclavata, 2- sterigmatibus. Sporae ellipsoideae vel ovoideae, hyalinae.’ (p. 138, in reprint p. 40). In a short discussion he declared the genus to be quite different from any Corticium because of the permanently 2-spored basidia and distinct from Michenera because of the absence of paraphyses. Contrary to this, examination of the type material revealed that the basidia are always 4-spored and paraphysoid hyphae are always present! The two species C. bogoriense P. Henn. and C. tjibodense P. Henn. are conspecific and nothing else but Corticium ceraceum Berk. & Rav., as already mentioned by von Höhnel (1910).