1889.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 157 



In the supplement to the monograph, Xo. 179, however, Dr. 

 Rostafinski described the plant as follows : — 



"Retieularia (/) Rozeana Rki. — Aethalia of irregular shape,, 

 rounded, attached to the substratum by a wide base. Cortex, 

 columella, capillitium and mass of spores uniformly ferruginous- 

 brown. Cortex thin, membranaceous, irregularly perforated. Cap- 

 illitium composed of thin threads with flat membranaceous ex- 

 pansions, joined into an all-sided net. Spores irregularly globose, 

 very much warted, 8*3 mk. wide. 



Note. — The aethalia run about 1} cm. wide, a few about the 

 size of a pea. Surface slightly shining, under the magnifying glass 

 uneven, with point-like depressions. Examined under the micro- 

 scope it is a delicate membrane, slightly colored, with numerous 

 small, irregular perforations. Over the bottom of the aethalium 

 are raised, very numerous, small, membranaceous, flattened, short, 

 • lark-brown columellas, running further into the net of the capilli- 

 tium. The latter is composed of filaments with a not entirely 

 smooth outline, running very often into triangular or quadrangular, 

 membranaceous expansions, the last arms attached to the external 

 cortex, sometimes running into the wall. The species is included 

 temporarily in the genus Reticularia, as its individual history which 

 might throw some light upon the organization of the curious 

 aethalium, remains uninvestigated. In the meanwhile, we may 

 work upon the hypothesis, which is highly probable, that Re- 

 ticularia Rozeana is an aethalium composed of degenerate sporangia. 



It differs from R. lycoperdon particularly in its cortex, which is 

 not deposited in layers, but is a delicate membrane. Besides its 

 weakly developed columellas and the spores with the entire surface 

 uniformly warted, make it a good distinct species." 



In his correspondence with Mr. Roze the speaker asked him if he 

 could furnish a specimen of this species, suspecting that he (the 

 speaker) had the plant already in his herbarium. As Dr. Rostafinski 

 had gotten all the material Mr. Roze had obtained, the question had 

 to remain unsettled. By watching the locality from which the wood 

 came that produced the original specimens, Mr. Roze was rewarded 

 by finding in 1887 under natural conditions, an example of the plant, 

 and was kind enough to send a portion of it. The plant as was 

 suspected, proved to be one of our quite frequent species in the 

 neighborhood of Philadelphia, probably found in North American 

 collections as a variety of Retlcularia lycoperdon, Bull* The 

 external appearance of the two plants is very similar,, and the 

 spores, unless very carefully examined, nearly alike in structure. 

 In R. lycoperdon the warted portion of the spore has a circular out- 

 line, while in E. Rozeanum it has a spindle-shaped outline, the 

 remainder of the spore in each case being covered with a rine-meshed, 

 delicate network. 



*The plant may also be found in the Schweinitz Collection in the Acad. 

 Nat'l. Sc, Philada. under the name of Licea fiillax, Pers. 



