90 ENDOSPORE^J. [DIACH^A. 



Rost., Mon., App., p. 15. Didymiwn, Zeylanicwm Berk. & Br., 

 in Linn. Journ., xiv., p. 84 ; Mass., Mon., p. 240. Chondrioderma 

 Zeylanicum Rost., Mon., App., p. 15. Chondrioderma Berkeley - 

 anum Rost., Mon., App., p. 16 ; Mass., Mon., p. 214. Iricham- 

 phora Fuckeliana Rost., in Fuckel, Symb. Myc., Nachtr. 2, p. 71 ; 

 Mon., p. 138. Badhamia Fuckeliana Rost., Mon., App., p. 2 ; 

 Mass., Mon., p. 321. Didymium australis Mass., Mon., p. 237. 



Plate XXXV., B. a. sporangia, x 20 ; b. capillitium, with fragment of 

 sporangium- wall and spores, x 280 ; c. spore, x 600 (Australia). 



The fine specimen from Sumatra in the Leyden Herb., covering an 

 area of six inches on a frond of Selaginella stipidata, a part of which, 

 through the kindness of Dr. Boerlage, is in this collection (L:B.M.67), 

 may be taken as a type of this interesting species. From the unique 

 characters of the sporangium and capillitium, it deserves to retain the 

 generic position assigned to it by Junghuhn in describing the original 

 Java specimen. Examination of the scanty remains of that gathering 

 at Strassburg and at Leyden, and of the types of Physarum Muelleri 

 Berk, from Queensland and Ceylon (K. 1433 and 1432), also of 

 Didymiwn Zeylanicum Berk. & Br. from Ceylon (B. M. 576), and of 

 Didymium australis Mass, from Brisbane (K. 1491), shows that they 

 all possess the characters given above, and are consequently included 

 under T. pezizoidea. The specimen marked Physarum macrocarpnn/ 

 Ces., No. 1458, Fuckel F. Rhen. (B. M. 403), is a part of Rostafinski's 

 type of Badhamia Fuckeliana Rost., of which a fine example is in 

 Strassb. Herb. ; it is essentially identical with the Sumatra gathering of 

 T. pezizoidea. The type of Chondrioderma Berkeleyanuni Rost. from 

 Tahiti in the Kew collection (K. 1207A), marked in pencil by Berkeley 

 Trichamphora pezizoidea Jungh., differs from Fuckel's gathering only 

 in the darker and more strongly spinose spores ; the number of spines 

 on the hemisphere is the same in each ; in the Sumatra specimen the 

 spores are intermediate in colour and in the strength of the spines, 

 while in the Brisbane specimen the spores are nearly smooth. This 

 varying character is not sufficient to raise the Tahiti gathering to the 

 rank of a distinct species. A fine growth from Borneo has dark 

 spinose spores 15 /x diam. 



Hal>. On dead wood, leaves, etc. Germany (B. M. 403) ; Natal 

 (K. 376) ; Ceylon (B. M. 576) ; Java (Strassb. Herb.) ; Sumatra 

 (L:B.M.67) ; Borneo (L:B.M.67) ; Queensland (L:B.M.67) ; Tahiti 

 (K. 1207). 



Genus 11. DIACKffiA Fries, Syst. Orb. Veg., i., p. 143 

 (1825). Sporangium-wall hyaline, iridescent, without deposits 

 of lime. Stalk and columella charged with granules of lime. 

 Capillitium a profuse network of purplish threads, without lime- 

 knots. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF DIACH^EA. 



Liine in stalk and columella white. 



Spores nearly smooth. 1. 1). elegans 



Spores tuberculated. 2. D. splendens 



Lirne in stalk and columella orange. 3. D. Thomasii 



