200 THE MYXOMYCETES 



columella, which is, as we have seen, inconstant, and upon the colorless 

 capillitium. This feature in specimens examined is also inconstant. 



Occurring in large colonies on barkless decaying logs of various 

 species; the plasmodium almost colorless. 



Common. Canada to Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Brazil; Europe, 

 Asia, Africa. 



12. Lamproderma scintillans {Berk. & Br.) Morgan 



Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 16 : 131. 1894. 

 PL XIII, Figs. 324, 325. 



1877. Stemonitis scintillans Berk. & Br., Jour. Linn. Soc. 15 : 84. 



1877. Lamproderma arcyrioides (Somm.) Rost. var. iridea Cooke, Myx. G. B. 



50. 

 1892. Lamproderma irideum Massee, Mon. 95. 



Sporangia gregarious, scattered, globose or depressed-globose, 0.3- 

 0.5 mm. in diameter, metallic blue-purple or bronze, iridescent, stip- 

 itate; the stipe long, slender, even, inclined and nodding or sometimes 

 erect; hypothallus small, circular; columella cylindric, small, not reach- 

 ing the center, black; capillitium dense, of rigid, straight, sparingly 

 branched or anastomosing brown threads, which are typically white 

 or colorless just as they leave the columella; spores globose, rough, 

 violaceous brown, 7-9 ju. 



The capillitium is remarkable, and constitutes an easy diagnostic 

 mark. The threads appear at first sight entirely simple, but are really 

 several times furcate, and not infrequently anastomose. The spores 

 are covered with sparsely sown large papillae, easily seen under 

 moderate magnification. 



This is one of our earliest species. To be sought in May on beds of 

 decaying oak leaves in the woods, especially in wet places, near 

 streams, etc. 



Not common in North America. Reported from New England, 

 Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Bolivia; Rumania, Ceylon, Japan. 



13. Lamproderma physaroides {Alb. & Schw.) Rost. 



Mon. 202. 1875. 

 1805. Stemonitis physaroides Alb. & Schw., Consp. Fung. 103. 



Sporangia gregarious, wide-spreading, globose, the peridium persist- 

 ent with a silver metallic, sometimes brassy luster; stipe long, rather 

 thick, brown or black, tapering upward; hypothallus well developed, 

 brown or purple, usually not continuous; columella swollen at tip, 

 obtuse, short at best, hardly attaining the center of the sporangium; 



