242 THE MYXOMYCETES 



area around the fructification; spores ochraceous or clay colored in 

 mass, rarely bright yellow, almost colorless by transmitted light, mi- 

 nutely roughened, 9-10 /x. Plasmodium at first pale, then pink or rose. 



Recent studies by Miss Baker (1932) have shown that the spo- 

 rangia are clearly delimited in the early stages, the walls disappearing 

 before maturity, and that the threads are deposited on the inside of 

 the sporangial walls and therefore are not true capillitial elements. 

 The fructification is a pseudo-aethalium which at maturity closely 

 simulates a true aethalium. The taxonomic position of the genus 

 must be regarded as doubtful, perhaps close to Tubifera, but since it 

 has long been customary to group it with Reticularia and Enteridium 

 it may provisionally be retained in the family with them. 



As noted, there is very great variation in the size and color of the 

 fructification. Sometimes an entire plasmodium forms a single con- 

 tinuous and extensive sheet, at other times it is broken up into numer- 

 ous smaller units. The var. entoxanthum (Berk.) G. List. ( = Reticu- 

 laria entoxantha Berk., Hook. Jour. Bot. 3 : 201, 1851) is distinguished 

 from the typical form by its bright yellow spores, greater thickness 

 and coarser threads; it occurs in Japan, the tropics and the southern 

 hemisphere. Var. cinnabarinum (Berk. & Br.) Hiranuma, is a bright 

 red form reported from Italy and Japan. We have such collections 

 from Ohio and California. It is probably based, as Lister suggests, 

 on incompletely matured collections. 



The typical form is fairly common in the United States and Canada 

 and is widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions in both 

 hemispheres. 



Family LYCOGALACE^) 



Fructification an aethalium; peridium membranaceous, tough, ex- 

 ternally vesiculose with protoplasmic masses, gelatinous within; the 

 pseudocapillitium attached to the peridium and consisting of irregular 

 lobate or branching tubules, varying greatly in width and often 

 flattened, and marked by numerous corrugations, irregular warts or 

 bands; spores minute, ashen or pallid. 



A single genus: 



Lycogala Micheli ex Adanson 



Fam. PI. 2 : 7. 1763. 



1753. Lycoperdon Linn., Sp. Plant. 1183, in part. 

 1818. Diphtherium Ehr., Sylv. Myc. Berol. 26. 



With the characteristics of the family. 



Micheli's description and figures, Nov. Plant. Gen. 216, 217, pi. 95, 

 leave no doubt that this illustrious man had species of Lycogala be- 



