212 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



capillitial threads. The species is immediately recognized by 

 its elaters, whose numerous and lengthened spinules are unlike 

 those of any cognate form, reminding one of the capillitium 

 of Ophiotheca. Related to the two preceding, but distinct by 

 its spinulose capillitium. 



Iowa, Missouri ; Black Hills, South Dakota. 



4. TRICHIA VARIA (Pers.} Rost. 



PLATE IV., Figs. 3, 3 a, 3 b. 



1791. Stemonitis varia Pers., Gmel., Syst. Nat., II., p. 1470. 

 1829. Trichia varia (Pers.) Fries, Syst. Myc., III., p. 188. 

 1875. Trichia -varia (Pers.) Rost., Man., p. 251. 



Sporangia gregarious or sometimes closely crowded, globose, 

 obovoid, or irregularly globoid, yellowish or ochraceous, shin- 

 ing, sessile, or with short black stipe ; hypothallus none ; capil- 

 litium of rather long, simple, or more rarely branched elaters, 

 4-5 fjb wide, marked by irregular spirals generally only two, 

 prominent and narrow and in places remote, the apices acute, 

 about twice the elater diameter ; spore-mass yellow, spores by 

 transmitted light dull yellow, 12-14 A 1 * delicately verruculose, 

 guttulate. 



A very common species, very variable in form, stipitate forms 

 occurring anon beside those which are irregular and sessile. 

 According to Rostafinski the stipitate phase constitutes the 

 T. nigripes of Persoon and other authors. The capillitium is, 

 however, characteristic throughout. The two spiral bands 

 wind loosely and irregularly and present an elater unlike any- 

 thing else in the group except the same structure in T. contorta, 

 but here the elater is narrow and the sculpture obscure. Since 

 the specific distinctions are purely microscopic, the synonymy 

 beyond Rostafiniski is mainly conjectural. It is possible that 

 Fries properly applied the name. 



Common. Maine to Oregon and California, and south to 

 Arkansas and Alabama. 



