166 THE MYXOMYCETES 



agree with Massee's species, the inner capillitium is somewhat abun- 

 dant, but the character of the columella just the same. 



On rotten wood, eastern United States and Ontario to Colorado; 

 India. 



10. Stemonitis splendens Rost. 



Mon. 195. 1875. 

 PI. XI, Figs. 262, 263. 



1880. Stemonitis morgani Peck, Bot. Gazette 5 : 33. 



1892. Stemonitis maxima Schw. ex Massee, Mon. 74. 



1892. Stemonitis acuminata Mass., Mon. 78. 



1892. Stemonitis bauerlinii Mass., Mon. 79. 



Sporangia long-cylindrical, flexuous, clustered irregularly, some- 

 times forming patches 6-10 cm. or more in extent, natal-brown *, 

 14-23 mm. tall; stem black, polished, enlarged below; columella 

 black, sparingly branched; capillitium open, of brown, sparingly 

 branched threads, bearing a surface net of moderately small, rather 

 uniform meshes mostly under 50 fx in diameter; peridial processes few, 

 inconspicuous; hypothallus thin but well developed, silvery, common 

 to all the sporangia of a cluster; spores lilaceous brown by transmitted 

 light, verrucose, 8 n in diameter. Plasmodium white on maple, creamy 

 on linden. 



According to Lister, S. maxima Schw. is a synonym of S. fusca. 

 Mr. Bilgram, who has examined what is left of Schweinitz' type in 

 Philadelphia, believes it represents the present species, as did Massee, 

 and most of the material distributed as S. maxima is the present 

 species. Pending further study it seems wise to retain Rostafinski's 

 name. 



The var. jiaccida Lister seems little more than a growth form in 

 which the sporangia are weak and adherent due to unfavorable weather 

 conditions during development. 



On rotten wood, in the United States especially on Acer saccharinum, 

 not uncommonly on linden and willow, occasionally on ash. Widely 

 distributed in temperate and tropical regions. 



11. Stemonitis webberi Rex 



Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phila. 1891 : 390. 

 PI. XI, Figs. 264, 265. 



1894. Stemonitis splendens Rost. var. webberi Lister, Mycetozoa 112. 



Sporangia cylindric with obtuse apex, clustered in small tufts up to 

 1 cm. broad, sometimes larger, natal-brown * to bone-brown *, usually 



