52 ENDOSPORE.E. [PHYSARUM. 



or greyish-violet colour, as given by Host., Mon., p. 120, and not 

 " fusco-atra " (Sacc., Syll., p. 360). The specimen named Til. gradients 

 from Sowerby's Herb. (K. 1419) approaches the form S, with stout dark 

 stalk. Physaruin Readeri Mass., from Melbourne (K. 500), is the 

 form y, with spores 8 to 9 /x diam. The type of P. gramdalutn Balf. 

 fil. (K. 67) is the form y, with the lime on the sporangium-wall in 

 sand-like granules, a not infrequent appearance in species of Phy- 

 saraceae (cf. P. cornpressum). P. Muscicola Pers. is referred to by 

 Persoon in Syn. Fung. 1801, p. 171, as hardly to be distinguished from 

 the somewhat larger species P. nutans ; it would therefore appear to 

 be a small form of variety /3. Tilmadochc, Pint Host., Mon., p. 128, is 

 described as similar to P. nutans, but of erect and somewhat larger 

 growth, and more robust. 



Hob. On rotten stumps, etc. Leytonstone, Essex ; Lyme Regis, 

 Dorset (L:B.M.28) ; y. France (Paris Herb.) ; a /3 y 5'. Germany and 

 Poland (Strassb. Herb.) ; y. Italy (B. M. 435) ; y. Australia (K. 500) ; 

 0. Tasmania (K. 1403), New Zealand (K. 1243) ; /3 and y. N. America 

 (L:B.M.28). 



20. P. calidris Lister, in Journ. Bot. 1891, p. 258, PL 308, 

 fig. 2. Plasmodinra ? Total height 1 to 2 mm. Sporangia sub- 

 globose, sfcipitate, erect or somewhat inclined, scattered, 0'5 mm. 

 diam., white, rugose ; sporangium-wall membranous, colourless 

 above, with dense clusters of innate white granules ; thickened 

 and persistent at the base, partaking of the colour of the stalk. 

 Stalk subulate or equal, furrowed, 1 to 1*5 mm. long, O'l mm. thick, 

 red-brown, clear orange-brown in glycerine-jelly mounting, not 

 enclosing refuse matter, or rarely, at the base. Columella none. 

 Capillitium of colourless branching threads with numerous or few 

 white lime-knots f very various in the same development, either 

 delicate or approaching the type of Badhamia. Spores pale 

 rownish- violet, almost smooth, 8 to 11 /x diam. Didymium 

 usillum Berk. & Curt., Grev.,ii. (1873), p. 53. Badhamia nodu- 

 osa Mass., Mon., p. 322. 



Plate XIV., B. a. sporangia, x 20 ; b. capillitium and spores, x 280 ; 

 c. spore, x 600 (England). 



The specimen in Broome's Herb, named P. eleplmntinum Berk. & Br. 

 MS. from Ceylon (B. M. 453) is a somewhat larger form, but appears 

 to be the same species, with capillitium and spores similar to those in 

 the English gatherings. P. nndidosum Cooke & Balf. (B. M. 858), from 

 South Carolina, differs from the English specimens of P. calidris only 

 in the Badhamia-like capillitium. In the Lyme Regis gatherings this 

 character is very inconstant : in one sporangium the hyaline threads 

 may be abundant, either delicate or with broad expansions, and the 

 lime-knots scattered ; in another the hyaline threads may be few, with 

 the capillitium consisting chiefly of confluent lime-knots. In the 

 sporangium examined of the Orton specimen (K. 1411) the capillitium, 

 for a great part, consists of a network of broad strands more or less 

 filled with lime, of Badhamia type ; the remainder has numerous lime- 

 knots connected by delicate hyaline threads. The type of Didymium 

 pusillum Berk. & Curt., from South Carolina (K. 1492), consists of 

 specimens on two slips of wood, on one of which are three small 

 sporangia of a Phymrum with orange translucent stalks, no columella, 



