Lamproderma 175 



Sporangia globose or ovoid-globose; threads of the capillitium 

 straight or wavy, brown; spores purple-brown, 11-15 )u diam., 

 nearly smooth or spinulose. 



Var. Carestiae (Ces. & DeNot.) Lister, Mycetozoa 130. 1894. 

 Stemonilis Carestiae Ces. & DeNot. Erb. Critt. Ital. no. 888. 1879. 

 Lamproderma Sauteri Rost. var. Carestiae (Ces. & DeNot.) Meylan, Bull. 



Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. 51: 264. 1917. 

 Lamproderma Carestiae (Ces. & DeNot.) Meylan, Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. 



57: 368. 1932. 



Sporangia globose or ovoid, nearly black, short-stalked or 

 sessile on a dark, membranous hypothallus; capillitium of dark 

 purple-brown threads with colorless tips, either flexuose and form- 

 ing a dense network, or almost straight and branching at acute 

 angles; spores purple-brown, closely spinulose or spinose, 9-20 /x 

 diam. 



Type locality: France. 



Habitat: On dead leaves and wood. 



Distribution: The typical form is common in the United 

 States and Canada; Puerto Rico; var. Sauteri, California, *Colo- 

 rado, Michigan, *Montana, Ontario, *Oregon, Washington; var. 

 Carestiae, Colorado, Utah. 



Illustration: Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. pi. 132. 



This species is notable for the large number of forms that sur- 

 round it, all of which are clearly related, but differ more or less in 

 some particulars. Forms like L. Gulielmae, L. cribrarioides and 

 L. atrosporum, that have some prominent characters, constant in 

 specimens from widely separated parts of the world, are entitled 

 to specific separation. Others, which have only differences in 

 size, shape, stalk, color of the capillitium, and spore characters, 

 or various combinations thereof, seem to be more of the nature of 

 variants. They are rarely found, or are confined to particular 

 regions. In all my collecting experience I have never found a 

 specimen that was not practically typical L. violaceum, and the 

 typical form is common in the mountain areas I have visited. It 

 has two phases. The sporangia of the early developments in 

 July and August are somewhat small, usually brilliant blue, with 

 a firm peridium, which is quite persistent. These fruitings are on 

 leaves. Later, in October and on wood, is found the larger form, 

 bronze or brown in color, and with a thin peridium which breaks 

 away on maturity. Vars. Sauteri and Carestiae are not constant 

 in different collections as seen in specimens here, and are con- 



