32 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



Sporangia depressed, globose, or irregular, sessile, more or 

 less aggregated, ochraceous yellow, peridium double, the outer, 

 thick, cartilaginous, at length irregularly ruptured and reflexed, 

 disclosing the more delicate, ashen-gray, inner membrane which 

 encloses capillitium and spores; capillitium abundant, showing 

 large, white, irregular calcareous thickenings which are often 

 consolidated and in some sporangia tend to aggregate at the 

 centre ; spore-mass brown, spores violaceous, slightly roughened, 

 8-10 /A. 



This beautiful species shows a peridium as distinctly double 

 as in any Diderma, The outer peridium is reflexed exactly as 

 in some species of that genus ; is yellow without, white within, 

 and withal long persistent. The capillitium of course distin- 

 guishes the species instantly from any Didcrnia. By the size of 

 the spores it is distinguished from the species preceding. This 

 being a decisive specific character, the synonomy prior to Rosta- 

 finski is somewhat uncertain. The specific name adopted by 

 the Polish author is therefore approved, although perhaps not 

 the earliest. 



Rare. The only specimens thus far are from Tennessee and 

 Louisiana. 



7. PHYSARUM BRUNNEOLUM (Phillips') Mass. 



1877. Diderma brunneolum Phillips, Grev., V., p. 114. 



1888. Diderma brunneolum Phill., Saccardo, Syll. Fung., No. 1292. 



1892. Physarum brunneolum Phill., Massee, Mon.* p. 280, Figs. 221-222. 



1894. Craterium pedunculatumf Lister, Mycetozoa, p. 71. 



Sporangia scattered or gregarious, but not crowded, sessile, 

 globose or sub-depressed ; peridium single, thick, smooth and 

 polished, yellow brown, stellately dehiscent, the segments re- 

 flexed, white within ; columella none ; capillitium dense, with 

 nodes numerous, large irregular, internodes thin and short ; 

 spores globose, lilac, minutely warted, 6-7 fj-. 



This form was first described in Grcvillca, V., p. 114, as Di- 

 dcnna bntnncolum Phillips. Later, students of the specimens 

 preserved by Mr. Phillips concur that we have to do not with a 



