118 ENDOSPORE^E. [cOMATRICHA. 



with the evanescent sporangium -wall, by short points. Spores 

 brownish -violet, nearty smooth, or minutely and closely spinulose, 

 7 to 11 /x, diam. Stemonitis obtusata Fr., Symb. Gast., p. 17 

 (1818). Comatricha alta Preuss, in Linnsea, xxiv., p. 141. 

 Stemonitis nigra Pers., in Gmel., Syst. Nat., p. 1467 (1791). 

 Comatricha nigra Schroet., Pilze Scales., i., p. 118 (1889) ; Blytt, 

 Bidr. .K. Norg., Sop. iii, p. 8. Stemonitis Friesiana de Bary, in 

 Rabenh., Fungi Europ., No. 568 (1863) ; Mass., Mon., p.' 82. 

 Comatricha Friesiana Rost., Mon.,' p. 199 (1875); Cooke, Myx. 

 Brit., p. 48. C. subccespitosa Peck, in Rep. N. York Mus., xliii., 

 p. 25. Stemonitis subccespitosa Mass., Mon., p. 80. Comatricha 

 cequalis Peck, in Rep. N. York Mus., xxxi., p. 42. Stemonitis 

 cequalis Mass., Mon., p. 80. Comatricha Suksdorfii Ellis & Everh. ; 

 N. Am. Fungi Exs. Stemonitis Suksdorfii Mass., Mon., p. 76. 



Plate XLIV., B. a. sporangia of various forms, x 3^ ; b. sporangia with 

 spores dispersed, showing capillitium. x 20 ; c. capillitium with flexuose 

 threads, forming a loose tangled network, x 180 ; d. capillitium with much 

 branching flexuose threads forming a close network, x 180 ; e. capillitium 

 with threads uniting to form a superficial net more or less parallel with the 

 surface, x 180 ; /. spore, x 600 (England). 



A very abundant species in Europe, and subject to much variation 

 in the shape and size of the sporangium. C. cequalis Peck has 

 cylindrical sporangia about 3 mm. long, and stalks of the same length ; 

 the capillitium and spores, 7 /* diam., agree with those of C. obtusata, 

 from elongated forms of which C. cequalis cannot be distinguished. 

 C. subccespitosa Peck is a small delicate form, 2 mm. in height, with 

 sporangia ellipsoid, and capillitium a network of slender flexuose violet- 

 brown threads, forming a more or less distinct superficial net in the 

 lower part ; the spores are almost smooth, and measure 10 to 11 /u ; 

 although an unusually short-stalked delicate form, it presents no 

 characters by which it can be separated from C. obtusata. C. Suks- 

 clorjii Ellis & Everh. is about the same height as C. cequalis ; the 

 capillitium is very dense, but not more so than is frequently seen in 

 globose sporangia of C. obtusata ; the spores are unusually dark and 

 large, 10 to 11 n ; the tone of colour and the distribution of the minute 

 warts are, however, the same as in the last-named species, from which 

 it is not otherwise to be distinguished ; a similar form has been found 

 in England, with spores 8 to 10 p diam. C*. wqualis Peck, C. sub- 

 ccespitosa Peck, and C. Suksdorfii are represented in the British Museum 

 by glycerine jelly mountings from type specimens furnished by 

 Dr. Rex. 



Hab. On dead wood. Batheaston, Somerset (B. M. 220) ; Lyme 

 Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.87) ; Boynton, Yorkshire (B. M. 1095)'; France 

 (Paris Herb.) ; Germany (B. M. 605) ; Finland (B. M. 612) ; Poland 

 (Strassb. Herb.) ; Philadelphia (L:B.M.87). 



2. C. laxa Rost., Mon., p. 201 (1875). Plasinodmm watery- 

 white, in rotten wood. Total height, 1'5 to 3'5 mm. Sporangia 

 subglobose or shortly cylindrical, obtuse, scattered or gregarious. 

 Stalk black, shining, often stout, 0*3 to 0-6 mm. long. Columella 

 reaching nearly to the apex of the sporangium, narrowed up- 

 wards. Capillitium lax, the primary threads springing somewhat 

 distantly from all parts of the columella, at first straight or 



