Physarum 59 



threads attached to the sporangial wall, or in the spherical spo- 

 rangia branched, and forming an almost Badhamia-Vike network 

 with few connecting threads. Spores dull lilac, closely spinulose, 

 10-13 n diam. 



Type locality: Ceylon. 



Habitat: On dead wood, herbaceous stalks, or bark of living 

 trees. 



Distribution: *Antigua, *Iowa. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 76. 



This species is extremely variable, sometimes within the same 

 development. In certain phases it closely resembles forms of 

 P. nutans var. leucophaeum. 



36. Physarum compressum Alb. & Schw. Consp. Fung. 97. 1805. 

 Physarum lepidoideum Gilb.; Peck «& Gilb. Am. Jour. Bot. 19: 133. 1932. 



Plasmodium white (Lister). Sporangia scattered, obovoid or 

 reniform, compressed, splitting at the ridge, stalked, erect, or 

 sessile and subglobose, sometimes confluent in clusters or forming 

 plasmodiocarps, white or gray, rugose or spotted with white; spo- 

 rangial wall membranous, colorless or purplish below, with clus- 

 ters of white lime-granules on the outside. Stalk when present, 

 stout, long or short, furrowed, black from refuse matter, brownish, 

 or white from included lime. Capillitium a close network with 

 numerous small, usually rounded, white lime-knots, connected by 

 short hyaline threads. Spores dark purplish brown, more or less 

 faintly or strongly spinulose, 8-14 n diam. (Plate 8, fig. 1.) 



Type locality: Germany. 



Habitat: On leaves, twigs, and dead wood. 



Distribution : Widely distributed throughout North America, 

 and not uncommon. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 39. 



This rather common and variable species is particularly varia- 

 ble in the size, color, and roughness of the spores. As a rule, the 

 spores are not as dark as those of European specimens, and are 

 much like those of P. notabile, to which it is related. The spores 

 sometimes have the spines arranged in patches with smooth 

 tracts between, not as prominent as in P. straminipes, but suffi- 

 ciently so to make the character of value in the case of obscure 

 forms. The somewhat deciduous crust of lime on the walls of 

 sessile sporangia and plasmodiocarps is also characteristic, and 



