36 Mycetozoa of North America 



Habitat: On dead leaves, twigs, etc., occasionally on wood. 



Distribution: Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, Ontario, 

 Quebec, Tennessee, Virginia. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 24, as P. luteo- 

 albiim. 



This species looks like a Diderma. It is sharply marked, but 

 extremely variable, often in the same development. Var. aureuni 

 Ronn, based on color, is unworthy of recognition, as the color 

 variations are present in nearly every colony. Prior to 1937, 

 the species was known from North America by a single collection 

 made by Dr. W. C. Sturgis in Colorado. Since then it has been 

 found repeatedly in mountainous regions, usually late in the 

 season after the middle of August. The favorite habitat is on 

 the inside of curled and twisted, dry, decaying leaves. 



5. Physarum globuliferum (Bull.) Pers. Syn. Meth. Fung. 175. 

 1801. 



Sphaerocarpus globiiliferus Bull. Herb. Fr. pi. 484, fig. 3. 1 790, 

 Sphaerocarpus globulifer Bull. Champ. 134. 1791. 

 Didymium siibroseum Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 28: 54. 1876. 

 Physarum albicans Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 30: 50. 1878. (N. Y. B. G. 



no. 7984, type material.) 

 Physarum relatum Morg. Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 19: 26. 1896. 



Plasmodium pale yellow (Lister). Total height 0.6 to 1.5 mm. 

 Sporangia gregarious or united in small clusters, often connate, 

 globose or irregular in shape, stalked, usually erect, about 0.5 mm. 

 diam., white; sporangial wall membranous, with crowded clusters 

 of included lime-granules. Stalk white, buff, or reddish, some- 

 times darker toward the base, 0.1 to 1 mm. long, often tapering 

 upward, nearly smooth, brittle and chalky in cross-section. 

 Columella conical. Capillitium persistent, retaining the form of 

 the sporangium after dispersal of the spores, forming a close net- 

 work of hyaline threads with numerous, fusiform or rounded, 

 white lime-knots, occasionally angular and branching. Spores 

 lilac-brown, faintly warted, 6-8 ^u diam. 



Type locality: France. 



Habitat: On dead wood; common and abundant. 



Distribution: Throughout North America. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 16. 



This species is variable in shape and general appearance, but 

 may be recognized by the persistent capillitium with usually 



