PHYSARUM 61 



depressed cross section. Perfectly normal spores in some sporangia 

 range from 8.5-10 /jl. 



Brandza (1929) reports this species as occurring under two aspects 

 in Moldavia, one form with simple, pallid sporangia, strongly com- 

 pressed laterally, the other plasmodiocarpous and chamois colored. 

 The former suggests certain aspects of P. bivalve. 



Widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate climates in both 

 hemispheres. Less common in cooler regions but reported from New 

 York, California, Colorado and Pennsylvania. 



28. Physarum penetrale Rex 



Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phila. 1891 : 389. 

 PI. IV, Figs. 65, 66, 67. 



1896. Cytidium penetrate (Rex) Morgan, Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 19 : 11. 



Sporangia scattered, stipitate, erect or nodding, ellipsoidal or pyri- 

 form, 0.4-0.6 X 0.3-0.4 mm., rarely globose; peridium greenish gray 

 or yellowish green, studded sparsely with rounded, pale yellow or 

 yellow-gray lime granules, rupturing to the base into two or four 

 segments; stipe variable, slender, subulate, rugulose, flattened later- 

 ally toward the base, translucent, dull red or golden red in color; 

 columella four-fifths the height of the sporangium, concolorous with 

 the stipe, acuminate; capillitium dense, persistent, the nodes frequently 

 calcareous, rounded, yellow; spore-mass brown, spores nearly smooth, 

 brownish, 6-7 //. 



Readily recognizable by the elongate sporangia and the lengthened 

 columella. The capillitial nodes are at first pale yellow, but tend to 

 whiten on exposure. The spores when highly magnified show delicate 

 spinulescence. 



Cosmopolitan. Not common in North America. A specimen in the 

 Ellis collection, New York, from Dr. Rex, is labelled P. columelliferum 

 but this name seems not to have been published. 



29. Physarum puniceum Emoto 



Bot. Mag. Tokyo 45 : 229. 1931. 



Sporangia clustered, cylindrical, stalked, bright pink, 0.5-1 mm. 

 tall, 0.4-0.5 mm. broad; stalk up to 0.15 mm. tall and 0.05 mm. thick, 

 sometimes almost lacking, bright purple-red, longitudinally striate; 

 peridium thin, membranous, bright rose, encrusted with small round 

 crystals 1 n in diameter; hypothallus round, concolorous with the 

 stalk; columella always present, conspicuous, bright pink, stout, cy- 



