

COMATRICHA 179 



the apex; capillitium arising from entire length of columella, exceed- 

 ingly dense, dark fuscous or black, the flexuous threads anastomosing 

 in a close network, with abundant free pallid extremities; spores in 

 mass blue-black, by transmitted light fuscous or dark violaceous 

 brown, paler on one side, minutely warted, 10-12 jx. 



Easily recognizable at sight by its sooty color. Entirely unlike any 

 of the preceding. The capillitium is similar to that of C. pulchella, but 

 it is very much more dense and entirely different in color. The sporan- 

 gia are often widened above and fairly truncate ; the total height up to 

 6 mm. The peridium is colorless, usually evanescent, but sometimes 

 long-persistent; when free, white or silvery. 



Var. aggregata Meylan has the sporangia confluent, on very short 

 stipes, and a more lax capillitium. It is connected by intermediate 

 forms with the typical form, and seems unworthy of recognition. 



On coniferous wood, Washington, Oregon, Colorado; Switzerland. 



12. Comatricha pacifica Macbride 



Amer. Jour. Bot. 19 : 139. 1932. 

 1922. C. aqualis Peck var. pacifica Macbr., N. A. Slime-Moulds ed. 2. 181. 



Sporangia gregarious, erect, deep violaceous, cylindrical or slightly 

 ovate, 7-8 mm. tall, stipitate; stipe about half the total height, black, 

 polished, even; hypothallus dark brown, shining, conspicuous, more 

 or less distinct for each sporangium, often connected in plasmodio- 

 carpous fashion but not continuous; columella dark, tapering, attaining 

 almost the summit of the sporangium; capillitium dense, of dark flex- 

 uose threads, branching repeatedly and forming an intricate network, 

 the free ends numerous, short, little if any paler than the threads from 

 which they arise; spores dark violaceous, distinctly warted, 9.5-11 /j.. 



Resembling C. aqualis, of which it was formerly regarded as a vari- 

 ety, but larger, darker, more distinctly purple, and with a different 

 hypothallus and larger spores. 



Oregon, M. E. Peck. 



13. Comatricha reticulata Gilbert 



Amer. Jour. Bot. 19 : 140. 1932. 



Sporangia dark lilac-brown, in small loose tufts, erect, on a thin 

 silvery hypothallus, 1.5-3 mm. tall, short-cylindric and obtuse at 

 both base and apex; stipe about one-half the height, black, shining; 

 columella dissipating in the upper one-fourth of the sporangium; 

 primary branches of the capillitium numerous, often thickened near 

 the columella, and branching and anastomosing to form an irregular 



