72 THE MYXOMYCETES 



nected by a hypothallus ; peridium thin, squamulose; capillitium per- 

 sistent, intricate, the nodules white, more or less confluent at the 

 center to form a real or a pseudocolumella; spores brownish purple, 

 spinulose, 7-10 ji. Plasmodium grayish, translucent. 



The lime-knots may often form a pseudocolumella reaching nearly 

 to the top of the sporangium. Brandza reports plasmodiocarpous 

 forms from Rumania, developed as a result of unfavorable weather 

 conditions. 



Forms with a capillitium nearly free from lime, the calcareous ma- 

 terial aggregated in the center to form a robust cylindrical columella, 

 such as distributed by Professor Brandza (No. 15), seem very close to 

 Diachea. 



Reported from Europe, Africa, Ceylon, Japan. 



44. Physartjm nicaraguense Macbr. 



Bull. Nat. Hist. S. U. Iowa 2 : 382. 1893. 



1894. Physarum compressum Alb. & Schw. ex Lister, Mycetozoa 53, in part. 

 1911. Physarum reniforme Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 2. 72, in part. 



Sporangia multilobate or compound-contorted, below obconic, gray, 

 ribbed with calcareous thickenings; stem short, fuscous, longitudinally 

 wrinkled; hypothallus distinct, black; columella none, although the 

 lime massed at the center of each sporangium simulates one; capil- 

 litium white, densely calcareous, with heavy angular nodules connected 

 with comparatively short threads; spores violet, globose, spinulose, 

 about 12 ju in diameter. 



This species somewhat resembles Physarum notabile, especially in 

 the amount of lime present in both capillitium and peridium, in the 

 fluted, sooty stipe, and the rough spores. Mr. Lister once regarded 

 it as the same. Nevertheless, it differs from that species in many defi- 

 nite particulars. In the first place, the sporangia are persistently 

 different in form and habit. They are obconic, nearly always com- 

 pound, convolute, or botryoid, in this respect somewhat resembling 

 P. polycephalum. Besides, the sporangia are uniformly much smaller, 

 and show constantly the strongly calcified center, much transcending 

 anything seen in P. notabile. The stipe also is peculiar, quite short, 

 an upward extension or sweep of the common hypothallus which is 

 usually very distinct or prominent; and, while the stipe is longitudinally 

 wrinkled, it is much less so than in the related species, and in a differ- 

 ent way. The spores are about the same in size, but differ in color, 

 in this respect agreeing rather with P. leucophceum. 



In the Mycetozoa, 2nd edition, the present species is entered as a 

 synonym of two described by Massee: Tilmadoche reniformis Mass., 



