COMATRICHA 183 



stant, he proposed it as a distinct species, C. brachypus (Bull. Soc. 

 Vaud. Sc. Nat. 57 :41, 1929). 



C. nigra is widely distributed and not uncommon, but often over- 

 looked. Eastern United States to Colorado and on the Pacific coast, 

 Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina; widely distributed in the old world. 



18. COMATRICHA ELLISII Morg. 



Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 16 : 133. 1894. 



1899. Comatricha laxa Rost. ex Macbr., N. A. Slime-Moulds 127, non Rost. 

 1911. Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroet., ex Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 2. 152, in 



part. 

 1922. Comatricha laxa Rost. ex Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 3. 143, in part. 



Sporangia short, erect, oval or ovoid to oblong, total height 0.6- 

 1.5 mm.; stipe and columella erect, brown and smooth, rising from a 

 thin pallid hypothallus, tapering upward and vanishing into the 

 capillitium toward the apex of the sporangium, the stipe usually 

 longer than the columella; capillitium of slender pale brown threads 

 which branch several times with lateral anastomosing branchlets, 

 forming a rather open network of small meshes, ending with very short 

 free extremities; spores globose, even, pale ochraceous, 6-7 ju. 



Growing on old pine wood, the sporangium 0.3-0.6 mm. in height 

 by 0.3-0.5 mm. in width, the stipe usually a little longer than the 

 sporangium. 



v On the strength of the clear descriptions and beautiful drawings of 

 Celakowsky, Myxomyceten Bohmens, p. 52, pi. 2, figs. 7 and 8, this 

 elegant little species was formerly referred to C. laxa Rost. It was 

 then reported from New Jersey only. Since then we have specimens 

 from southern Missouri, all true to form, almost identical. It seems 

 wise accordingly, while recognizing the relationship of the form both 

 to C. laxa, and to C. nigra, to give it here an individual place again. 

 It is very small; but once studied may thereafter be easily recognized 

 by a hand lens. The form is definite, clean cut, and the spores are 

 distinctly smaller than in either of the two related species. 



Rare. New Jersey, Missouri. 



19. Comatricha lurtda Lister 



Mycetozoa 119. 1894. 



Total height 1.25 mm.; sporangia scattered, globose or shortly 

 ovoid, erect, 0.5 mm. in diameter, stalked, purplish brown; sporangium 

 wall evanescent; stalk setaceous, black, shining, 0.75 mm. long, rising 

 from a circular brown hypothallus; columella cylindrical, reaching to 



