CRATERIUM.] PHYSARACE^E. 69 



red-brown. Capillitium of abundant filiform forking pale yellow 

 threads, with few minute fusiform yellow lime-knots, and yellow 

 spine-like processes 2 mm. long, 20 /A thick, extending from the 

 outer wall of the sporangium to the walls of the pseudo-columella, 

 densely charged with granules of lime. Spores violet-brown, 

 nearly smooth, 6 to 8 /x, cliam. Macbricle, Bull. Nat. Hist. Iowa, 

 ii., p. 151. Trichamphora ollonga Berk. & Cart., in Grev., ii., 

 p. 66 (1873). Tilmadoche oblonga Host., Mon., App., p. 13 ; 

 Mass., Mon., p. 334. Physarum rufibasis Berk & Br., in Linn. 

 Journ., xiv., p. 85 ; Mass., Mon., p. 279. Tilmadoche hians Host., 

 Mon., App., p. 14. Physarum hians Mass., Mon., p. 296 (in 

 part). Tilmadoche minuta Berl., Sacc. SylL, vii., p. 361. 



Plate XXV., B. a. sporangia, x 20 ; &. transverse section of same, x 20 ; 

 c. sporangium after dehiscence and dispersion of spores, x 20 ; d. capillitium, 

 and calcareous spines arising from the sporangium- wall, x 280 ; e. spore, 

 x 600 (United States). 



The examination of Berkeley's type specimens of Plnjsarum rufibasis 

 Berk. & Br. from Ceylon, and Trichamphora oblonga Berk. & Curt, from 

 Michener, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., shows that they are the same species, 

 and possess the same characters of sporangium and capillitium as 

 PhysareU<( /it/rabilis - - characters so remarkable that the species well 

 deserves to rank as the type of a distinct genus. Forms occur in 

 imperfect developments with short broad stalks and funnel-shaped 

 sporangia, examples of which are seen in Berkeley's type specimen of 

 Physarum rufibasis, as well as in American specimens. Tilmadoche 

 hians is described by Rostafmski as having the tube of the stalk 

 hollow and completely traversing the oblong sporangium, and the 

 lime-knots of the capillitium irregularly elongated, taking origin for 

 the most part from the sporangium-wall. He quotes two gatherings 

 only: one, the above-mentioned P. rufibasis Berk. & Br.,from Ceylon ; 

 the other referred to as follows : " The specimen seen was gathered 

 by Jan Kickx (father) in Flanders, and marked by him Craterhnn 

 minutum Fr." (Host., Mon., p. 425.) 



Hal. On dead wood. Ceylon (L:B.M.44) ; Java (K. 1312); 

 Borneo (L:B.M.44) ; Pennsylvania (B. M. 852, 882). 



Genus 7. CRATERIUM Trentepohl, in Pvoth. Catal. Bot., i., 

 p. 224 (1797). Sporangia stipitate, goblet-shaped, with a lid of 

 thinner substance, or subglobose, rugose ; sporangium-wall charged 

 Avith granules of lime, and cartilaginous at least in the lower 

 part. Capillitium of large lime-knots connected by more or less 

 branching hyaline threads. In the centre of the sporangium the 

 lime-knots are usually larger and confluent, forming a pseuclo- 

 colurnella. Stalk cartilaginous. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CRATERIUM. 



A. Sporangium- wall smooth, glossy : 



Lime-knots white. 1. C. peduncidatum 



Lime-knots brown. 2. C. concinnum 



