138 THE MYXOMYCETES 



brown threads, often expanded at the axils; spores closely and rather 

 coarsely warted, 14-16 /z in diameter. Plasmodium orange-yellow. 



The bright vermilion sporangia, the distinctive capillitium and large 

 spores combine to make this a striking and distinctive species. The 

 above description, adopted in the main from the third edition of the 

 Lister monograph, has been somewhat modified on the basis of the 

 examination of some specimens courteously furnished by Miss Lister. 



Rare and local. Wales, England (?), Germany, Ceylon (?). Not 

 known from North America. 



24. Dederma floriforme {Bull.) Pers. 



Roem. N. Mag. Bot. 1 : 89. 1794. 

 PI. IX, Figs. 208, 209. 



1791. Sphcerocarpus floriformis Bull., Champ. 142. 



1791. Stemonitis floriformis (Bull.) Gmel., Syst. Nat. 2 : 1469. 



1797. Didymium floriforme (Bull.) Schrad., Nov. Gen. PI. 21. 



1801. Lycoperdon floriforme (Bull.) With., Brit. PI. ed. 4. 4 : 379. 



1803. Diderma spurium Schum., Enum. PI. Saell. 2 : 197. 



1804. Reticular ia floriformis (Bull.) Poiret, in Lam. Encycl. 6 : 182. 

 1809. Leangium floriforme (Bull.) Lk., Mag. Ges. Nat. Fr. Berl. 3 : 26. 

 1814. Leangium lepidotum Ditm., in Sturm., Deutsch. Fl. Pilze 2 : 43. 

 1827. Cionium floriforme (Bull.) Spreng., Syst. Orb. Veg. 4 : 529. 

 1827. Cionium lepidotum (Ditm.) Spreng., Syst. Orb. Veg. 4 : 529. 

 1829. Diderma lepidotum (Ditm.) Fr., Syst. Myc. 3 : 100. 



1875. Chondrioder ma floriforme (Bull.) Rost., Mon. 184. 



Sporangia crowded, generally in dense colonies, globose, smooth, 

 ochraceous brown, varying from nearly white to umber, stipitate; 

 peridium thick, cartilaginous, splitting from above into several petal- 

 like lobes, which speedily become reflexed exposing the pale brown 

 inner surface of the peridium and swarthy spore-mass, the inner perid- 

 ium not separable; stipe concolorous, about equal to the sporangium; 

 hypothallus generally well developed, but thin, membranaceous, com- 

 mon to all the sporangia; columella prominent, globose or cylindric, 

 often constricted below, and prolonged upward almost to the top of 

 the spore-case; capillitium of slender, delicate, sparingly branched 

 threads; spores dark violaceous brown, paler on one side and sparsely 

 and irregularly studded with large, blunt warts, 10-11 fx. 



Not uncommon, especially on rotten oak logs. Easily recognized 

 by the peculiar form of the fruit, spherical before dehiscence, floriform 

 after. Unlike most species, this form often fruits in dark places, in 

 the interior of a log, even in the ground. 



New England, Ontario to Iowa, Nebraska, Washington and south; 

 Europe. 



