72 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



1876. Tilmadoche /nans Rost, Man. App., p. 14. 



1882. Physarella mirabilis Peck, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, IX., p. 61. 



1893. Physarella oblonga (Berk, and Cke.) Morgan, Jour. Cin. Soc., 

 p. 79. 



Sporangia scattered or gregarious, typically cup-shaped or 

 sub-infundibuliform, stipitate, erect or cernuous, but varying 

 through low salver-shaped cups, to irregular applanate and 

 sessile masses, the peridium thin but firm, tawny, roughened by 

 numerous yellowish calcareous scales, at length ruptured above 

 and often reflexed in the form of petal-like segments from 

 which project upwards the spiniform trabecules of the capilli- 

 tium ; stipe when present long, terete, red, arising from a scant 

 hypothallus and extended within the sporangium to form the 

 tubular columella ; capillitium of delicate violaceous threads 

 seldom branched or united, radiating from the columella with 

 few calcareous nodular expansions, but supported by stout yel- 

 low calcareous trabicules, running parallel to the capillitial 

 threads, long adherent to the sporangial wall; spores smooth, 

 globose violet brown, 7-8 p. 



Not uncommon in wet places. New York, Ohio, Iowa, South 

 Dakota, Louisiana, Nicaragua. 



Not the least remarkable feature of this remarkable species 

 is the variation in the form of the fruit, or asporangia. I have 

 specimens from Louisiana (Rev. Langlois) which show no 

 trace of columella, the whole structure involute and plicate, 

 short stipitate, recalling the extremest complexity of such a 

 species as TilmadocJie polycepJiala. Moreover, in these speci- 

 mens the calcareous deposits are white and not yellow, giving 

 the entire fructification a grayish aspect. Yet there is no 

 doubt we have here simply an exaggerated abnormality of the 

 species ; the spores are identical in size, color, and surface. 

 Plasmoclium bright yellow. Dr. Peck gave to his forms the 

 name Physarella mirabilis, but specimens sent by Michener 

 of Pennsylvania and by Berkeley and Cooke described as 

 TricJiamp]wra oblonga (Grey., II., p. 66) are the same thing. 

 N. A. F., 1212. 



