COMATRICHA 163 



digression from C. nigra with C. elegans as an intermediate center. 

 At various times at the type locality were found connecting forms 

 between the three species mentioned. C. exlendens is so sharply 

 defined, without a columella, and with an elastic capillitium 

 expanding as in Arcyria, that it suggests a distinct genus. It is a 

 Comatricha, however, and clearly related to C. nigra. 



10. Comatricha aequalis Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 31: 42. 

 1879. 



Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroet. var. aequalis (Peck) Sturg. Colo. Coll. 

 Pub. Sc. Sen 12: 34. 1907. 



Plasmodium milk-white (Lister). Total height 4 to 9 mm. 

 Sporangia closely gregarious, cylindrical, usually obtuse, curved, 

 stalked, purplish brown. Stalk about half the total height. 

 Columella reaching nearly to the summit of the sporangium. 

 Capillitium a dense tangle of purplish brown threads springing 

 from all parts of the columella, anastomosing and branching, and 

 ending in free tips, usually pale. Spores violet-brown, minutely 

 and faintly spinulose, 7-9 /* diam. 



Type locality: New York. 



Habitat: On dead wood. 



Distribution: *Colorado, *Illinois, Minnesota, New Hamp- 

 shire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, *Ohio, Ontario, 

 Oregon, ^Pennsylvania, Quebec. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 123, figs, l-n, as 

 C. nigra. 



This is practically the same as C. nigra, with similar capillitium 

 and spores, differing only in the large, cylindrical sporangia. 

 Many students have considered it as a variety of C. nigra, and 

 with some reason, as it is not common, and occurs only occa- 

 sionally where C. nigra is abundant. It is readily distinguished 

 from C. typhoides, the only form it resembles in general appear- 

 ance, by the spore-characters. 



11. Comatricha subcaespitosa Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 43: 

 71. 1890. 



Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroet. var. subcaespitosa (Peck) Lister, Mycetozoa 

 ed. 3. 142. 1925. 



Plasmodium? Total height about 2 mm., rarely larger or 

 smaller. Sporangia closely gregarious, cylindrical, curved, usu- 



