COMATRICHA 131 



The peridium is exceedingly delicate, less seldom seen here 

 than in some other species, but likely to be overlooked entirely. 

 The spores when fresh have a distinct violet or bluish tinge ; in 

 old specimens they are almost colorless. In any case they are 

 well marked by the large umbonate papillae already referred to. 



C. typJdna, var. heterospora Rex, differs from the type in 

 several particulars : the sporangia manifest a closer habit ; the 

 capillitium is made up of more slender threads and forms a yet 

 denser network ; the spores between the large papillae are 

 marked by a more or less perfectly formed reticulation. 



As to nomenclature, this is our old friend C. typJdna (Pers.) 

 Rost. It should be, more properly, called C. typhina Rost, 

 for it is not Persoon's species exactly. But Scopoli, I.e., by 

 citing Hall, Gleditsch, and Micheli, so describes our form as to 

 leave small doubt that he had before him our common species. 

 Schaeffer's figures also come to the rescue, which, though by no 

 means satisfactory, yet can probably refer to no other species. 

 Bulliard gives the first good account and figure. 



Widely distributed. Maine to California, and from British 

 America to Nicaragua. 



8. COMATRICHA EQUALIS Peck. 



1890. Comatricha equalis Peck., Rep. N. Y. Mus., XXXI., p. 42. 



Sporangia gregarious, seldom erect, usually inclined, curved 

 or nodding, dark brown, cylindric, acuminate-obtuse, stipitate > 

 stipe about half the total height, 2-2^- mm., black, polished, 

 even ; hypothallus well developed, brown, continuous ; colu- 

 mella black, tapering gradually, and attaining almost the 

 summit of the sporangium ; capillitium dense, of flexuous 

 tawny threads which, by repeated branching, form an intricate 

 network, the free extremities numerous, short, and pale ; spores 

 dark violaceous, distinctly warted, 7.5-8 /u,. 



A very graceful, elegant species, related to C. pnlcJiclla and 

 C. persoonii, but distinct by its much greater size and smaller 

 spores. The specimens before show us the perfection of beauty 

 in this genus ; the polished stipe, the symmetrical capillitium, 



