164 ENDOSPORE^E. [TRICHIA. 



with four to five spiral bands 1 //, broad, the intervals 1 to 2 //,, 

 crossed by slender ridges running parallel with the length of 

 the elater and connecting the bands ; the ends of elaters conical, 

 terminating in a smooth point 3 to 8 /u, long. Spores yellow, 

 the wall reticulated with narrow, deep bands forming a net with 

 three to five meshes to the hemisphere; 13 to 15 /x, diam., includ- 

 ing the border of 1 '6 to 2 /x width, which represents the depth of 

 the band. Schum., En. PI. Saell., ii., p. 207 (1803). Lycop&rdon 

 favogineum Batsch, Elench. Fung. Cont., p. 257 (1786). Stemonitis 

 favoginea Grnel., Syst. Nat., ii., p. 1470 (1791). Trichia nitens 

 Pers., Obs. Myc., i., p. 62 (1796). Sphcerocarpus chrysospermus 

 Bull., Champ., t. 417, f. 4 (1791). Trichia chrysosperma DC., Syn. 

 PI. Gall., p. 52 (1806); Host., Mon., p. 255; Cooke, Myx. Brit., 

 p. 64, figs. 213, 240; Blytt, Bidr. K. Norg., Sop. iii., p. 12; Macbride, 

 in Bull. Nat. Hist. Iowa, ii., p. 130; Mass., Mon., p. 189. 



Plate LX., A. a. sporangia, x 20 ; ~b. elater. x 600 ; c. spore, x 600 

 (Freiburg, Germany). 



The species of Trichia with reticulated spores are separated from 

 each other by somewhat arbitrary lines, owing to the inconstancy of 

 the distinctive characters. The descriptions under the several names 

 are here given from the type specimens in the Strassb. Herb. ; they 

 represent well marked centres, but in this abundant and widespread 

 genus forms are of frequent occurrence which take an intermediate 

 position. The character of longitudinal striae connecting the bands 

 on the elaters is met with to a greater or less extent in each member 

 of the group. In extensive gatherings on old pine stumps in the 

 Black Forest, the elaters are nearly regular in breadth, usually 8 

 fj. diam., but some measure 7 p and some 6 '5 p, ; the connecting striae 

 are almost always but not invariably distinct ; the spores have mostly 

 unbroken bands without pits, and show a border 2 /ix diam. ; in some 

 parts of several gatherings the bands are broader, broken and pitted, 

 and the border reduced to a slight thickening of the spore-wall : but 

 in all these specimens a considerable part retains the character of 

 T. favoginea in the narrow and even bands on the spores and broad 

 elaters. American gatherings show similar variation ; sometimes with 

 spores having regular reticulation and narrow bands, the elaters are 

 only 6 p. diam. Between T. affinis and T. persimilis, and between 

 T. persimilis and T. scabra, intermediate forms frequently occur where 

 it is often difficult to decide under which head to place them. The 

 length and markings of the elaters is also a varying character. A 

 gathering of Hemitrichia chrysospora List, has been found at Lyme 

 Regis of the Trichia form with free elaters ; T. scabra has occurred 

 with the capillitium consisting of a dense network of the extreme 

 Hemitrichia type, with no free elaters ; T. affinis and T. scabra, when 

 exposed to severe changes of temperature, at the time of their fruiting, 

 have developed elaters with the spirals to a great degree modified into 

 complete rings, approaching the markings on the elaters of Cornuvia 

 Serpula ; and T. persimilis under similar conditions has produced very 

 short elaters with broad rings and faint spirals with much the same 

 character as Oligonema nitens. With such blending of form, which 

 indicates a relationship between all these species, the characters given 

 in the key must be taken as approximate, and mark the main centres 

 around which the numerous varieties group themselves. 



