Marasmius koae to the substrate. The fruit body has no distinctive taste or odor. The thin-walled spores are somewhat fusoid (spindle-shaped) to elongated ellipsoidal in shape, smooth, hyaline (translucent), and measure 12–14.5 by 4–4.8 μm. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped, four-spored, and clamped, measuring 24–28 by 7–9 μm. The species is endemic to Hawaii, where it has been found growing in dense groups on the rotting wood of koa ("Acacia koa"). Collections have been made only in the Koa/Ohia Montane Wet Forest on Kauaʻi island. Marasmius koae Marasmius koae is a species of agaric fungus in the Marasmiaceae family. Newly described
Acacia koa used by ancient Hawaiians to build "waa" (dugout outrigger canoes) and "papa hee nalu" (surfboards). Only "paipo" (bodyboards), "kikoo", and "alaia" surfboards were made from koa, however; "olo", the longest surfboards, were made from the lighter and more buoyant "wiliwili" ("Erythrina sandwicensis"). The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of Black Walnut ("Juglans nigra"), with a specific gravity of 0.55, and is sought for use in wood carving and furniture. Koa is also a tonewood, often used in the construction of ukuleles, acoustic guitars, and Weissenborn-style Hawaiian steel guitars. B.C. Rich used koa on some