144 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



to three-fourths the total height, slender, rigid ; columella 

 slender, cylindric, attaining about one-third the height of the 

 sporangium when it breaks into the primary branches of the 

 capillitium ; capillitium exceedingly intricate, made up of slen- 

 der, flexuous brown threads which frequently branch and anas- 

 tomose to form an elegant round-meshed network resembling 

 that of Arcyria, free ultimate branchlets not numerous ; spores 

 in mass jet black, by transmitted light violaceous, smooth, or 

 only faintly warted, 6-8 //.. 



In outward appearance this species resembles L. pliysaroides, 

 but is easily recognizable by its very peculiar capillitium. This, 

 in its primary branching, resembles a ComatricJia. In typical 

 forms, the columella branches at the apex only, generally into 

 two strong divisions which then break up irregularly and anas- 

 tomose in every direction. This seems to have been the form 

 present to Rostafinski when he wrote "columella truncate." 

 In Central American and some North American specimens, the 

 branching is very different; the twigs leave the columella at 

 various points almost down to the annulus, and the entire effect 

 is dendroid. The columella is lost almost at once. A small 

 form of this species was formerly distributed in the United 

 States as ComatricJia friesiana DeBy. This circumstance led 

 the present author to describe Central American forms as 

 C. shimekiana. Judging from a remark by Massee (Mon., 

 p. 97), a similar confusion seems to have prevailed in Europe. 

 As a matter of fact, the resemblance between C. friesiana, i.e. 

 C. nigra, and the present species is sufficiently remote. 



Lamproderma minutum Rostafinski seems to be a small form 

 of this species. Rostafinski bases his diagnosis upon the 

 branching of the columella, which is, as we have seen, incon- 

 stant, and upon the colorless capillitium. This feature in speci- 

 mens examined is also inconstant. 



Occurring in large colonies on barkless decaying logs of 

 various species ; the plasmodium almost colorless. 



New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, 

 Nicaragua. 



