130 ENDOSPORE.E. [LAMPRODERMA. 



y. Carestiae : sporangia subovoid ; stalk short, stout ; capilli- 

 tium dense, dark violet-brown ; spores 8 to 15 /x diam., nearly 

 smooth or spinose. 



Plate XLIX., A. a. sporangia, a. fjenmnum, x 3^ ; b. sporangia, x 20 ; 

 c. capillitium, x 80 ; d. spore, x (500 (England) ; e. small sporangia, x 3 

 (United States) ; /. capillitium, /3. Sauteri, x 80 ; (j. spore of same, x 600 

 (Tyrol : Bostafinski's type of L. Sauteri') ; li. sporangia, 7. Carcstia, x 3^ ; 

 i. capillitium, x 80 ; j. spore of same, x 600 (Italy : type of Stemonitis 

 Carestifc Cesati) ; k. spore, x 600 (Jura Mts. : Fuckel, Fung. Rhen., 1447, 

 one of Rostafinski's types of L. arcyrioides'). 



Plate XLIX., B. a. sporangia, type of Stemonitis arcyrioides Somm., 

 x 20 ; b. columella and capillitium, x 50 ; c. capillitium and spores, 

 x 280 ; d. spore, x 600 (Norway). 



The three varieties given above are well-marked centres, round 

 which intermediate forms group themselves, and are essentially repre- 

 sented under their respective names by specimens in the Strassb. 

 Herb.; but neither the size of the spores, the colour of the capillitium, 

 nor the shape of the sporangia can be taken as giving constant specific 

 characters. In some gatherings with dark and coarse capillitium the 

 spores measure 9 p, diam., in others 11 to 14 p diam. ; they are either 

 minutely or strongly spinulose. The original gathering on which 

 Sommerfelt founded his S. arcyrioides, of which, through the courtesy 

 of Prof. Blytt of Christiania, a mounting is in the Brit. Mus. Coll., has 

 globose sporangia, with brown capillitium and nearly smooth spores 

 8 to 9 /* diam. The measurement " 12 '5 to 16'5 JJL ' given by Rosta- 

 hnski, and repeated in other works, is erroneous, but is corrected by 

 Prof. Blytt, I.e. It is a form of a. genuinum with dense capillitium. 

 L. Sauteri Rost. has the same form of sporangium and brown capilli- 

 tium as S. arcyrioides Somm., but has spinulose spores 11 to 14 p diam.; 

 it is the type of /3. In Lyme Regis gatherings with pale, minutely 

 spinulose spores, 8 to 10 p. diam., the capillitium is either almost 

 colourless and flaccid, or brown and rigid, sometimes varying in 

 sporangia on the same leaf. The characters on which specific differ- 

 ences can be based being so unstable, it appears reasonable to consider 

 the three forms as varieties of one species. Lamproderma robusta 

 Ellis & Everh., No. 39, N. Amer. Fun., as represented by the 

 specimen received by Mr. Massee from Mr. Wingate, is /3, with 

 dark, strongly spinulose spores 11 to 13 /x diam.; it is almost identical 

 with the type of L. Sauteri in the Strassb. Herb. The type of 

 Tilmadoche Berkeley i Mass., from the United States (K. 1563A), 

 appears to be an immature specimen of L. violaceum. 



Hab. On dead wood, leaves, etc. a. Twycross, Leicester (B. M. 203p,); 

 Brockley, Somerset (B. M. 202) ; a,/3. Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M. 99) ; 

 a. France (Paris Herb.) ; a, /3, y. Germany (Strassb. Herb.) ; /3, y. Ger- 

 many (B. M. 607) ; a. Norway (L:B.M.99) ; y. Switzerland (B. M. 608); 

 y. Italy (B. M. 606) ; a. Mass., U.S.A (L:B.M.99) ; /3. Philadelphia 

 (L:B.M.99) ; y. Iowa, Ohio (L:B.M.99). 



SPECIES NOT MET WITH IN THE QUOTED COLLECTIONS. 



6. L. Schimperi Host., Mon., p. 203. Sporangia globose, irides- 

 cent, greenish-black or reddish. Stalk black, shining, rigid, 

 subulate, 3 to 4 mm. high, 0'6 mm. thick below, 0'15 mm. above. 

 Columella obovate, hardly attaining half the height of the 

 sporangium. Capillitium dusky, as in L. physaroides. Spores 

 dull violet, delicately warted, 10 to 11 ^ diam. Differing from 



