Elaeomyxa 181 



Genus 23. ELAEOMYXA Hagelstein, Mycologia 34: 593. 

 1942. 



Sporangia distinct, stalked or sessile, without lime; sporangial 

 wall membranous; capillitium consisting of branching and 

 anastomosing purplish threads; inclusions, granules or globules of 

 an oily or waxy substance, present in the stalk, columella, sporan- 

 gial wall, or capillitium. 



Type species: Diachea miyazakiensis Emoto. 



1. Elaeomyxa miyazakiensis (Emoto) Hagelstein, Mycologia 34: 

 593. 1942. 



Diachea miyazakiensis Emoto, Proc. Imp. Acad. Tokyo 11: 444. 1935. 



Plasmodium not observed. Total height 1 to 1.5 mm. Spo- 

 rangia gregarious, cone-shaped, stalked, blue or iridescent violet ; 

 sporangial wall membranous, transparent, sometimes with pale 

 orange oil granules. Stalk cylindrical, somewhat thicker in the 

 middle, brownish black, 0.1 to 1 mm. long, about 0.05 mm. diam. 

 Hypothallus not developed. Columella reaching to half the 

 height of the sporangium, violet-brownish black, dividing into 

 branches, without lime. Capillitium springing from the col- 

 umella, of branching and anastomosing, dark violet-brown 

 threads, colorless at the tips, and having at the axils oil-bearing 

 nodules, 5-30 n diam., pale orange or pale orange-red, containing 

 many granules. Spores globose, dark violet-brown, warted, 7- 

 10 n diam. 



Type locality: Japan. 



Habitat: On dead wood. 



Distribution: Ontario. 



Illustration: Emoto, Proc. Imp. Acad. Tokyo 11: ^4:^, figs. 

 1-3, as Diachea miyazakiensis. 



The preceding is a translation of the German description of 

 Emoto. He uses the German word for oil to explain the material 

 in the sporangia and capillitium. Another species, so far un- 

 known from North America, is described as having wax. Emoto 

 may have used the word as synonymous with wax. In the On- 

 tario specimens the substance is a solid at ordinary temperatures. 

 The diameter of the stalk, given by Emoto as 0.05 mm., is clearly 

 an error as it does not conform to his figure which shows a stout. 



