112 Mycetozoa of North America 



This species is prominently distinguished by the spores with 

 their large, dark, stout protuberances, flared at the tops, which 

 are not spines nor warts. The brilliant blue sporangia, some- 

 what larger than those of related species, provide easy recog- 

 nition in the field. The developments appear usually after the 

 middle of August. For further remarks see Mycologia 30: 340. 

 1938. 



4. Diachea subsessilis Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 31: 41. 



1879. (X. Y. B. G. no. 12708, type material.) 



Plasmodium yellow (Lister). Sporangia gregarious, some- 

 what clustered, globose, 0.4 to 0.6 mm. diam., stalked or sessile, 

 shining iridescent bronze, rarely blue; sporangial wall mem- 

 branous, colorless. Stalk stout, tapering, white, 0.2 to 0.5 mm. 

 high, filled with lime either in the form of granules or crystalline 

 nodules, rarely brown and without lime. Columella small, coni- 

 cal, white or brownish, usually absent in the sessile forms. 

 Capillitium radiating from the columella or base, and consisting 

 of branched and anastomosing, purple-brown threads, usually 

 stouter and paler below, slender and colorless at the tips. Spores 

 purplish gray, 7-10 /i diam., reticulated with rows of close-set 

 warts or spines, forming a net of small or large meshes. 



Type locality: New York. 



Habitat: On dead leaves, twigs, etc. 



Distribution: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, *Iowa, Kan- 

 sas, Massachusetts, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 100. 



This species forms small colonies in dry places, and is not 

 uncommon. The species of Diachea forming globose sporangia 

 are sharply separated by spore characters. In the present one 

 the reticulations on the spores are diagnostic. They are often 

 large and prominent, but may be small and faint. The color of 

 the spores varies somewhat, also. 



5. Diachea radiata G. Lister & Petch; G. Lister, Jour. Bot. 54: 

 130. 1916. (N. Y. B. G. nos. 12567, 12568, authentic ma- 

 terial.) 



Plasmodium orange-yellow (Lister). Sporangia loosely clus- 

 tered or crowded in large colonies, hemispherical or globose, 

 0.4 to 0.5 mm. diam., sessile, rarely stalked, iridescent gray or 



