70 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



describe both sessile and stipitate forms. The only American 

 specimens we have seen are sessile and for the most part closely 

 crowded, almost heaped. 



Apparently rare. New England, New York, Pennsylvania. 



B. SUB-GENUS SCYPHIUM. 

 This section contains but a single species : 



ii. BADHAMIA RUBIGINOSA (Chev.} Rost. 

 PLATE X., Figs, i, i a, \ b, i c. 



1826. Physarum rubiginosum Chevalier, Fl. Par., p. 338. 



1872. Craterium obovatum Peck, Rep. N. Y. Mas., XXVI., p. 75. 



1875. Scyphium rubiginosum (Chev.) Rost., Mou., p. 148. 



1876. Badhamia rubiginosa (Chev.) Rost., Mon. App., p. 5. 

 1892. Craterinm rubiginosum Massee, Mon., p. 270. 



Sporangia gregarious, obovoid, grayish brown, stipitate, the 

 peridium simple, membranous, above thin, pale, more or less 

 calcareous below, more persistent blending with the stipe ; 

 stipe erect, reddish brown or purplish, expanded below into a 

 small hypothallus, above prolonged within the sporangia more 

 than half its height as a definite columella ; capillitium very 

 dense, snow white, long persistent with the lower two-thirds 

 of the sporangial wall ; spore-mass dark brown ; spores by 

 transmitted light dark violet or purple brown, minutely rough- 

 ened or spinulose, not adherent, 12-14 A 1 - 



This is probably the most common Badhamia in the country 

 and in the world. It is found every year, in the woods, on 

 masses of decaying leaves, especially those of various species 

 of oak. The plasmodium is yellow. The fructifications are 

 very distinct, not likely to be mistaken for those of any other 

 species ; the stipes constitute a very prominent feature in every 

 gathering I have seen. Sometimes these are more or less 

 coalescent, especially toward the base, where they are apt 

 to be also wrinkled or longitudinally striate ; in other speci- 

 mens the stipes are well differentiated, long, terete, with little 

 or no hypothallus. 



