MYCETOZOA OF CEYLON. 353 



Comatricha obtusata, Preuss. 



Stemonitis friesiana, de Bary, in Massee, Monograph, p. 82. 



A group of four, with eUipsoid sporangia, was found at 

 Pattipola. A gathering from Hakgala, with stalks 4-5 mm. 

 long, has spores 11 to 14 /^ diameter. The Ceylon gathermg 

 cited by Massee is not recorded by Berkeley and Broome. This 

 species is rare in Ceylon. 



Comatricha longa, Peck. 



Not uncommon. Specimens from Neboda (low-country) 

 have sporangia 3 to 4 cm. long, on stalks 3*5 mm. long; 

 spores 10 to 11 ^ diameter, strongly spinulose, wdth the spines 

 arranged in a reticulate pattern and connected by raised bands 

 which form a spore border crossed by the thicker spines. In 

 some gatherings at Peradeniya the sporangia are closely 

 fasciculate, erect, 7 to 12 mm. high ; spores 7 to 9 /* diameter, 

 reticulated ; the longest sporangia found at this elevation are 

 2 cm. in length. In an abnormal development from Gan- 

 garuwa the sporangia are about 5 mm. high, the free ends of 

 the capiUitium are not divided, and the spores measure 9 to 

 12 A' in diameter. Not found above 1,600 feet elevation. 



Peradeniya, Gangaruwa, Neboda, Dewalapola. 



Comatricha typhoides, Rost. 



Stemonitis typhitm, Mass., Monograph, p. 74. Stemonitis 

 typhoides, DC, in B. and Br., Fungi of Ceylon, No. 768. 



Common, and usually typical. In one gathering from 

 Peradeniya the capiUitium has large dark bro'wn spore-like 

 swellings and smaller thickenings. Spores 6 to 7 A* diameter. 

 Var. heterospora has been collected at Peradeniya. 



Peradeniya, Urumuwela, TalawakeUe, Hakgala, &c. 



Comatricha persoonii, Rost. 



Fairly common, usually on dead dadap {Erythrina, sp.), and 

 frequently ripening on the earthen galleries of Termites which 

 overrun the fallen dadap logs. The Ceylon specimens are all 

 var. gracilis {Comatricha gracilis, Wingate). Total height 1 to 

 1-6 mm. ; stalks 0-3 to 0-6 mm. high ; sporangia cylindrical, 

 ovoid, or globose, 0-5 to 1 mm. high, 0*25 to 0-5 mm. 

 diameter ; spores 6 to 8 /« diameter, almost smooth, or faintly 

 and closely warted. 



