Physarum 75 



smaller, the threads are long and clearly physaroid. There is 

 still uncertainty whether the name P. auriscalpium represents 

 the form as described here, or a phase of the later proposed P. 

 oblatum. If the final judgment is to abandon the name P. obla- 

 tum, a new name must be applied to the present form. 



57. Physarum Braunianum de Bary; Rost. Mon. 105. 1874. 



Physarum Braunianum de Bary; Lister, Mycetozoa 63. 1894. 

 Physarum lateritium (Berk. & Rav.) Morg.; Lister, Mycetozoa ed, 2. 82, in 

 ^art; pi. 61, fig. d. 191L 



Plasmodium? Sporangia sessile, subglobose, occasionally 

 elongate, 0.3 to 0.5 mm. diam., scattered or clustered but not 

 heaped, not rugose, brown or reddish brown speckled with many 

 pale spots, sometimes without lime and then uniformly purplish 

 brown; sporangial wall membranous, yellow, with separated in- 

 cluded clusters of white or pale yellow lime-granules, often 

 streaked with red. Capillitium a network of hyaline threads 

 with numerous small, angular or branching, white, yellowish, or 

 brownish lime-knots. Spores violet-brown, spinulose, 8-10 /* 

 diam. 



Type locality: Germany. 



Habitat: On dead leaves. 



Distribution: Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hamp- 

 shire, New York, Pennsylvania. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 61, fig. d, as 

 P. lateritium. 



This species forms small colonies and is not rare in the eastern 

 United States. From P. lateritium it is distinguished by the 

 smaller sporangia and absence of plasmodiocarps; the different 

 wall and color; and the angular lime-knots. The sporangia are 

 much smaller and more rounded than those of P. auriscalpium, 

 the appearance is brown with pale spots, the wall does not have 

 the clusters on the outside, and the lime-knots are small. 



58. Physarum lateritium (Berk. & Rav.) Morg. Jour. Cin. Soc. 

 Nat. Hist. 19: 23. 1896. 



Didymium lateritium Berk. & Rav.; Berk. Grevillea 2: 65. 1873. (N. Y. 



B. G. no. 11566, type material.) 

 Physarum inaequale Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 31 : 40. 1879. (N. Y. B. G. 



no. 7987, type material.) 



