258 THE MYXOMYCETES 



1801. Licea circumscissa (Schrad.) Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung. 196. 



1803. Physarum luteo-album Schum., Enum. PL Saell. 2 : 199, non Lister. 



1808. Tubulina circumscissa (Schrad.) Poiret, in Lam. Encycl. 8 : 131. 



1817. Perichcena abietina Fr., Symb. Gast. 11. 



1817. Perichcena populina Fr., Symb. Gast. 12. 



1875. Perichcena fusco-atr a (Sibth.) Rost., Mon. 294. 



1879. Perichcena rostafinskii Karst., Bidr. Kann. Finl. Nat. 31 : 130. 



1889. Oligonema broomei Massee, Jour. R. Micr. Soc. 346. 



Sporangia sessile, gregarious, flattened, hemispherical; peridium 

 simple, opening by a lid; dehiscence circumscissile, the upper part 

 chestnut brown, the lower almost black; capillitium feebly developed, 

 smooth, attached to the lid and usually coming away with it, bringing 

 the brilliantly yellow spore-mass, and leaving a delicate, shining cupule 

 adherent to the substratum; spores yellow, faintly warted over about 

 two-thirds the surface, 10-12 //. 



On and under the bark of dead trees of various species, especially 

 elms and poplars. 



A very handsome little species occurring rarely with us, or perhaps 

 overlooked by virtue of its protective coloration. Found sometimes 

 on the inner side of the bark where the latter has separated, but not 

 yet wholly parted company with the wood. In such situations the 

 tiny sporangia are so nearly the color of the moist substratum as to 

 escape all but the closest scrutiny. The dehiscence is very remarkable, 

 characteristic, beautiful. Black, brown, chestnut and gold are har- 

 moniously blended in the opening coffers. Prior to maturity the future 

 line of fission is plainly indicated by the difference in color. 



This is clearly the species found by Batsch "ligni demortui putridi 

 in interiore corticis pagina." Bulliard has also described and figured 

 the species as Sphcerocarpus sessilis. The capillitium is nearly smooth ; 

 the spores are only slightly roughened by minute warts. 



Apparently not common. Ontario, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, 

 South Dakota, New Mexico; Europe, South Africa, Ceylon, Malay 

 Peninsula. 



Var. liceoides (Rost.) Lister, Mycetozoa ed. 2. 251. Very small, 

 0.1-0.5 mm. in diameter; sporangia subglobose or bolster-shaped, 

 nut-brown or shining yellow, dehiscence irregular, granular deposits 

 scanty or lacking; capillitium scanty or none, of nearly smooth threads, 

 rarely forming a network. Based on Perichcena liceoides Rost., Mon. 295 

 (= Licea pannorum Cienk. non Wallr., Pringsh. Jahrb. Bot. 3 : 407, 

 1863; Lachnobolus pygmceus Zukal, QEsterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 53 : 136, 

 1893). Specimens not seen. From the description quite distinct, 

 and closer to Oligonema by virtue of the irregular dehiscence, but 

 intermediate collections are said to occur. 



