120 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



8. STEMONITIS WEBBERI Rex. 



PLATE XL, Figs. 6, 7, 8. 

 1891. Stemonitis ivebberi Rex, Proc. Phil. Acad., p. 390. 



Sporangia clustered, usually in small tufts, rusty brown in 

 color, 8-10 mm., including the stipe, which is jet black, shining, 

 and much expanded at the base ; hypothallus continuous, well- 

 developed, a thin, transparent pellicle ; columella black, taper- 

 ing upward, giving off at intervals the capillitial branches, and 

 becoming dissipated just below the obtuse apex ; inner capillitial 

 network very open, the branches far apart, anastomosing but a 

 few times before breaking into the surface net to form large, 

 irregular meshes, 50-125 ^ ; spores minutely roughened, fuscous, 

 8-9 p. 



Of much the same general color as 5. morgani, but very 

 different in proportions and internal structure. Especially dis- 

 tinguished from both S. morgani, S. ferruginea, etc., by its large- 

 meshed net and general coarse appearance. 



Dr. Rex describes the spores as " ferruginous in mass." In 

 older specimens this color is not so evident. 



Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. 



9. STEMONITIS AXIFERA (Bull?) Macbr. 



1791. Trichia axifera Bull., Champ, de la Fr., p. 118, tab. 477. 

 1818. Stemonitis ferruginea Ehren., Syl. Myc. Berol., p. 20; et auct. 

 Europ., Americ. non. 



1874. Stemoriitis herbatica Peck, Rep. N. Y. Mus., XXVI., p. 75. 



Sporangia clustered, in scattered tufts, cylindric, obtuse, pal- 

 lid ferruginous, stipitate or sometimes nearly sessile ; stipe fus- 

 cous or jet black, only slightly expanded below, much shorter 

 than the columella ; hypothallus scanty or none ; columella les- 

 sening upward, sometimes attaining the apex of the sporangium, 

 sometimes dissolved in capillitial threads some distance below ; 

 capillitium of rich brown threads forming the usual inner net- 

 work of medium density, with many wide expanded nodes, 

 the surface net made up of delicate, almost colorless threads 

 surrounding small polygonal meshes ; spore-mass ferruginous, 



