198 THE MYXOMYCETES 



and in color. We here include American collections formerly referred 

 to L. robustum (L. sauteri var. robustum Graff, Mycologia 20 : 106, 

 1928). Differing from L. violaceum, of which the English monograph 

 regards both sauteri and carestice as varieties, in the larger, darker and 

 more distinctly spinulose spores, and in the much more robust spo- 

 rangia. A mountain species, the plasmodium developing beneath the 

 snow, according to Professor Meylan. 



Forms with a slender stalk, slightly exceeding the height of the 

 sporangium have been called var. gracile Meylan; others, in which 

 the sporangium is top-shaped, var. turbinatum Meylan. The var. 

 pulchrum Meylan has spores 15-18 /x, a shining, metallic peridium and 

 a denser and darker capillitium; the var. atro-griseum Meylan has 

 equally large spores but a dull, iron-gray peridium. 



Colorado, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California; Europe. 



The following three species, recently described by Professor Meylan, 

 seem to belong close to L. sauteri. For the benefit of students, the 

 descriptions are appended. All are known, thus far, only from 

 Switzerland. 



Lamproderma splendens Meylan 



Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. 57 : 44. 1929. 



Sporangia stipitate, rarely sessile, subspherical, not umbilicate be- 

 low, 0.8-1 mm. in diameter, dark blue or bronze, with brilliant metal- 

 lic reflections, rarely violaceous cinereous or brilliant black; stipe 

 0.5-0.8 mm. in length; columella short, thick; capillitium of rather 

 coarse, sparsely branched threads in the lower half, densely branching 

 toward the surface, or sometimes densely branched throughout; spores 

 pale, indistinctly papillate, 9-11 /x. Plasmodium white. 



Lamproderma ovoideum Meylan 



Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. 57 : 373. 1932. 



Sporangia stipitate, ovate, 1.5-2 mm. in height, 1-1.5 mm. broad, 

 dark blue, sometimes bronze, shining, especially above; stipe less than 

 half the height of the sporangium; capillitium dense, dark brownish 

 purple; spores dark, papillate, 13-15 /x. Plasmodium white. 



The var. piriforme Meylan, formerly regarded by its author as a 

 variety of L. sauteri, has a dark, shining, but not iridescent, peridium, 

 an obovate sporangium and very dark spores, 15-18 /x. The var. 

 cucumer Meylan is characterized by a cucumber-shaped sporangium, 

 grayish capillitium and smaller, paler spores, 10-13 fx. 



