170 THE MYXOMYCETES 



rounded apex, which seems to be a constant character. The spores 

 under a high power lens appear almost smooth; under oil immersion 

 they present very delicate, low, scattered papillae. 



Not common; eastern United States to Iowa, Washington, Oregon; 

 Rumania, Poland, Malay Peninsula, Japan. 



17. Stemonitis herbatica Pk. 



Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 26 : 75. 1874. 

 PL XII, Figs. 276, 277. 



1899. Stemonitis axifera (Bull.) Macbr., N. A. Slime-Moulds 120, in part. 



Sporangia clustered, in scattered tufts, cylindric, obtuse, stipitate 

 or sometimes nearly sessile, natal-brown* or army-brown* fading to 

 avellaneous, 3-7 mm. tall; stipe fuscous or jet-black, only slightly 

 expanded below, short; hypothallus scanty or none; columella lessen- 

 ing upward, sometimes attaining the apex of the sporangium, some- 

 times dissolved in capillitial threads some distance below; capillitium 

 of rich brown threads forming the usual inner network of medium 

 density, with many wide expanded nodes, the surface net made up of 

 delicate, almost colorless threads surrounding small polygonal meshes; 

 spore-mass ferruginous; spores by transmitted light very pale, brown- 

 ish, minutely warted, 7-9 /jl. Plasmodium white to pale yellow. 



The low tufts of brown sporangia with short black stipes, borne 

 often as Dr. Peck found them, assembled on living leaves, dis- 

 tinguish this little species. Probably widely distributed, but confused 

 with short forms of other species; sometimes also on rotten wood or 

 debris. 



New York, Iowa, Washington, Oregon; Europe, Asia, Africa. 



6. Comatricha Preuss emend. Rost. 



Vers. 7. 1873. 

 1851. Comatricha Preuss, Linnaga 24 : 140, in part. 



Sporangia cylindric or globose, usually stipitate; stipe prolonged 

 upward to form a more or less extended and tapering columella bearing 

 branches on every side, which by repeated divisions and reunions form 

 the capillitium; ultimate branch- tips free, not supporting a surface 

 net parallel to the peridial wall; peridium evanescent, perhaps some- 

 times not developed at all. 



The genus Comatricha was set off from Stemonitis by the joint 

 efforts of Preuss and Rostafinski. Preuss included in his genus Coma- 

 tricha alien forms, and besides failed to give an accurate definition; 



