114 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



2. Spores minutely warted. 



i. Generally on parts of living plants, meshes small, 



9. S. axifera 

 ii. On dead wood ; meshes very large, 70-150 /x., 



8. 6". ivebberi 



i. STEMONITIS CONFLUENS Cooke and Ellis. 



PLATE XL, Figs. 4, 4 a, 5. 



1876. Stemonitis confluens Cke. and Ell., Grev., V., p. 51. 



1894. Stemonitis sphndens var confluens Lister, Mycetozoa, p. 112. 



" Sporangia fasciculate, confluent on a persistent hypothallus, 

 dark fuscous ; peridia very fugacious ; stipes united at the base, 

 erect, furcate ; spores large, brown, globose. On oak bark. 



" The stems are branched in a furcate manner and confluent 

 at the base, forming a compact tuft. The capillitium is mem- 

 branaceous at the angles ; spores very large compared with 

 allied species, being 12 p. The specimens were too fully ma- 

 tured for more satisfactory description." 



Such is the original description of this unique and interesting 

 species. The sporangia occur in close set tufts or clusters, are 

 distinct, separate at their tips and bases only ; perhaps not 

 always at base. The capillitium rises by branching from the 

 columella, rather more prolific than usual, and combines to form 

 a distinct superficial net of large even meshes. From the outer 

 arcs of the bounding net spring rather long acute processes 

 which should support the peridium. This, however, is alto- 

 gether rudimentary. In most places there is no sign of 

 peridium at all, but here and there between contiguous spo- 

 rangia opposite processes unite and at their point of union a tiny 

 circular disk of the peridial membrane appears. At intervals, 

 therefore, over the entire sporangium are seen these small brown 

 disks, each about equalling in diameter the size of the average 

 mesh. At other points the sporangia do not seem at all coales- 

 cent, but where the opposing processes do meet the union is per- 

 fect and the little disk seen edgewise looks like some delicate 

 counter strung upon a wire. 



