STEMONITIS.] STEMONITACE.E. 1 1 5 



Capillitium of ferruginous or brown threads, springing from the 

 columella, and forming a loose network with numerous broad 

 membranous expansions ; meshes of the delicate, superficial net, 

 angular, varying from 6 to 16 /x, diam. Spores pale ferruginous, 

 faintly warted, 6 to 9 /u, diam. Rost., Mon., p. 196 (in part); 

 Cooke, MYX. Brit., p. 46 (in part) ; Blytt, Bidr. K. Norg., 

 Sop. iii. (1892), p. 9 ; Mass., Mon., p. 85 (in part). 



Plate XLIV., A. a. sporangia, x 2 ; b. capillitium, x 180 ; c. capillitium 

 and columella expanded to form a membranous cap at the apex of the 

 sporangium, x 180 ; d. spore, x 600 (England). 



Hob. On leaves and dead wood. Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.85); 

 Leighwood, Somerset (B. M. 206) ; Hartham, Wilts (B. M. 210) ; 

 France (Paris Herb.) ; Germany (K. 778) ; Freiburg (Strassb. Herb.) : 

 Hungary (K. 1616). 



5. S. Smithii Macbride, in Bull. Nat. Hist. Iowa, ii., p. 381, 

 fig. 4 (1893). Plasmodium white. Total height 7 to 12 mm. 

 Sporangia cylindrical, densely fasciculate, stipitate, cinnamon- 

 brown. Stalk black, 3 to 6 mm. long, arising from a mem- 

 branous hypothallus. Columella ceasing below the apex of the 

 sporangium. Capillitium as in S. ferruginea, but the superficial 

 net has rounded, more regular meshes, 5 to 10 /A diam., and the 

 threads of the meshes are often rather stout. Spores pale 

 ferruginous, nearly smooth, 4 to 6 /JL diam. Stemonitis ferruginea 

 Rost., Mon., p. 196 (in part) ; Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 46 (in part); 

 Mass., Mon., p. 85 (in part) ; Macbride, in Bull. Nat. Hist. Iowa, 

 ii., p. 142. S. microspora List., Morgan, in Cine. Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 xiv., p. 54 (1894). 



Plate XLIV., A. e. sporangia of various sizes, x 2 (England) ; /. capil- 

 litium, x 180 (Central America) ; g. spore, x 600. 



The type specimen from Nicaragua has smaller and more delicate 

 sporangia than the usual form, which is found throughout the world. 

 The longer stalks and minute spores characterise all gatherings, and 

 distinguish this species from S. ferruf/inea. The twenty-six specimens 

 in the Kew Herb, are marked S. microspora Lister, but the description 

 of S. Smithii is the first published account of the species. 



Hob. On dead wood. Epping Forest, Essex (L:B.M.86) : Dudley, 

 Stafford (L:B.M.86) ; Luton, Beds (L:B.M.86) ; Berlin (B. M. 622) ; 

 Freiburg, Germany (Strassb. Herb.) ; Bohemia (K. 729) ; Mauritius 

 (K. 752); Ceylon (B. M. 646); New Zealand (K. 771)- Australia 

 (K. 758) ; Mass., U.S.A. (B. M. 641) ; Iowa (B. M. 819, 1005) ; S. Caro- 

 lina (B. M. 644) ; Nicaragua (B. M. 1004) ; Darien (B. M. 643) ; Chili 

 (Paris Herb.) ; Brazil (B. M. 1092). 



SPECIES NOT MET WITH IN THE QUOTED COLLECTIONS 



6. S. Tubulma Alb. & Schw., Consp., p. 102. ^Ethalium at 

 first white, soft, 1^ to 2 inches broad, 4 to 6 lines high, orbicular, 

 rarely suboblong, basal membranes stout, silvery, pellucid, 

 iridescent, easily removable from the substratum ; surface smooth, 

 shining, with hemispherical warts above, corresponding to the 



