COMATRICHA 123 



12. STEMONITIS PALLIDA Wingate. 



PLATE XIIL, Fig. 3 ; PLATE XVIII., Fig. 2. 

 1897. Stemonitis pallida Wing., N. A. F., Ell. and Ev., No. 3498. 



Sporangia gregarious, or somewhat clustered, erect, cylindric 

 obtuse, short, blackish brown, rubescent, becoming pallid, stipi- 

 tate; stipe short, black, polished, rising from a thin, brown, or 

 iridescent hypothallus; columella percurrent, ceasing abruptly at 

 the apex ; capillitium filling the interior with abundant branches 

 which form at the surface a close-meshed net, little developed 

 above, making the apex very blunt ; spores in mass dark brown, 

 by transmitted light dusky, nearly smooth, 7.5 //,. 



This species is well recognized at sight, among the fuscous 

 forms, by its scattered erect habit. In color it is not unlike 

 S. maxima, but has an added reddish tinge. In form it is 

 peculiar by virtue of the blunt rounded apex which seems to be 

 a constant character. The spores under moderate lens are 

 perfectly smooth, under the -^ they present very delicate low 

 scattered papillae. 



Apparently not common. Pennsylvania. 



3. Comatricha (Preuss) Rost. 



1851. Comatricha Preuss, Linn&a, XXIV., p. 140. 

 1873. Comatricha Rostafinski, Versuc/i, p. 7. 



Sporangia cylindric or globose, stipitate ; stipe prolonged 

 upward to form a more or less extended and tapering columella 

 bearing branches on every side, which by repeated divisions 

 and reunions form the capillitium ; ultimate branch-tips free, 

 not supporting a surface net parallel to the peridial wall ; 

 peridium evanescent, probably sometimes not developed at all. 



The genus Comatricha was set off from Stemonitis by the 

 joint effort of Preuss (1851) and Rostafinski (1873-5). Preuss 

 included in his genus, Comatricha, alien forms, and besides 

 failed to give an accurate definition ; included, however, in his 

 list some species which have since been known by his generic 

 name. 



