Stemonitis 151 



over; the capillitium forms a lax and irregular network of stout, 

 rugged threads, and has the appearance of being an abnormal 

 development." 



In the Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden, the 

 form is represented by two specimens from the Herbarium of the 

 late A. P. Morgan, of Ohio, but without locality data. One was 

 gathered in June 1895, and nearly all the spores are free, 7-9 /x 

 diam., with a few small loose clusters. The second collection, 

 found in August 1896, has spores 8.5-11 jx diam., firmly clustered 

 in small groups. The spores in both specimens are uniformly 

 spinulose over the entire surface, or practically so. There are no 

 clear signs of abnormality, but in all respects except the spores 

 the sporangia appear to be no different from those of typical 

 5. splendens. Occasional gatherings with clustered spores are 

 known in a number of species of the Mycetozoa that normally 

 have free spores, and little importance is attached thereto. This 

 form appears to be a dubious species, perhaps no more than a 

 "sport." The variation in the spore-characters, as reported, 

 would indicate that. 



8. Stemonitis herbatica Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 26: 75. 

 1874. (N. Y. B. G. nos. 7992, 12027, type material.) 



Plasmodium white, rarely pale yellow (Lister). Sporangia 

 cylindrical, closely clustered in scattered tufts, 5 to 9 mm. high, 

 brown or reddish brown. Stalk 0.8 to 2 mm. high, rising from a 

 membranous hypothallus. Capillitium of dark brown threads, 

 springing from the columella and forming a loose network, uniting 

 at the surface into a net with usually angular meshes, 10-20 ix 

 diam. Spores pale reddish, minutely spinulose, 6-8 n diam. 



Var. confluens Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 2. 148. 1911. (N. Y. B. G. nos. 

 11984, 12021, 12022, 12023, authentic material.) 



Sporangia united to form a convolute aethalioid mass, with 

 somewhat persistent sporangial walls, without distinct stalks or 

 columellae; capillitium an irregular network without surface-net. 



Type locality: Albany, New York. 



Habitat: On leaves and dead wood. 



Distribution: The typical form is common throughout North 

 America; var. confluens, Connecticut. 



Illustrations: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 120, figs, a-g; 

 var. confluens Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 1. pi. 77 A, as S. fusca var. 

 confluens. 



