COMATRICHA. j STEMONITACK-E. 119 



slightly curved, branching towards the surface to form a loose 

 network of slender threads, either looped or with numerous 

 straight free ends. Spores as in C. obtusata. Stemonitis laxa 

 Mass., Mon., p. 79. Badhamia penetralis Cooke & Ellis, in 

 Grev., v., p. 49. Comatricha Ellisiana Ellis & Everhart, N. Am. 

 Fung., 2nd series, 2696. Comatricha Sommerfeltii Blytt, Bidr. K. 

 Norg., Sop. iii. (1892), p. 8. 



Plate XL IV., B. g. sporangia of various forms on wood and bramble, x 

 8 ; h. sporangia with spores dispersed, showing capillitium. x 20 ; i. apex 

 of columella, and capillitium threads, x 180 ; k. spore, x 600 (England). 



Intermediate forms connect this species with C. obtusata, of which 

 it is hardly more than a marked variety. The type in the Strassburg 

 collection is well rendered by the photographic figure in Rostafinski's 

 Monograph ; it is a globose form with coarse and lax capillitium. A 

 similar form is found at Lyme Regis, together with growths having 

 more elongated sporangia ; among these there occur forms which 

 are identical with C. Ellisiana Ellis & Everh. (K. 1590), and with 

 specimens furnished by Dr. Rex under the same name (L:B.M.8S). 

 C. Sommerfeltii Blytt has the lax capillitium of Rostafinski's type of 

 C. la .i'n. with larger spores, 11 to 14 p. diam. ; the size of the spores, 

 which in other respects are those of C. laxa, can scarcely support a 

 separate specific rank being given to this gathering. I am indebted 

 to Prof. Blytt for kindly submitting the type of C. Sommerfeltii for 

 examination. 



Nab. On dead wood, twigs, etc. Leytonstone, Essex (L:M.B.S8) ; 

 Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.88) ; Germany (Strassb. Herb.) ; Norway 

 (L:B.M.88) ; Philadelphia (L:B.M.88) ; S. Carolina (B. M. 922). 



3. C. lurida Lister, sp. nov. Plasmodium ? Total height 

 1*25 mm. Sporangia globose or subovoid, erect, 0'5 mm. diam., 

 stipitate, scattered, purplish-brown ; sporangium-wall evanescent. 

 Stalk setaceous, black, shining, 0'75 mm. long, rising from a 

 circular brown hypothallus. Columella cylindrical, reaching to 

 half the height of the sporangium, dividing into stout branches 

 at the ap.-x, and continued into the capillitium. Capillitium 

 dark purplish-brown throughout, spreading from the upper part 

 of the columella in flexuose anastomosing threads, with slender, 

 brown, free ends. Spores spherical or subovoid, purplish-grey, 

 coarsely warted, 8 to 10 ^ diam. 



Plate XLV., B. a. sporangia, x 3| ; b. columella and capillitium, with 

 a fragment of sporangium- wall, to which spores adhere, x 180 ; c. spore, x 

 600 (England). 



This species has occurred at Lyme Regis during several years, with 

 constant characters : it has the habit of Lamproderma irideum, from 

 which it is distinguished by the more branching columella, the uniform 

 colour of the flexuose capillitium, and also in the larger and move 

 strongly warted spores. It resembles some forms of C. obtusata, 

 differing essentially in the spores and habitat. 



Hob. On dead leaves. Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.89). 



4. C. longa Peck, in Rep. N. York Mus., xliii., p. 24 (1890). 

 Plasmodiuni ? Total height 4 mm. to 4 cm. Sporangium 



