138 Ctftchniati Society of Natural History. 



Growing on old trunks, ^vthalium one to several centi- 

 meters in extent, and 5-15 mm. in thickness. The walls of 

 the sporangia are much more reduced to the shreddy fibrous 

 condition than in the preceding .species, and on this account 

 they much more rapidly disintegrate, causing the sethalium 

 soon to collapse. It is Reticnlaria Lycopcrdon, Bull. 



3. Reticulari.v atra, a. & S. ^Ethalium pulvinate, vari- 

 able in form and size, covered with a thin, fragile, blackish, 

 cortical layer. Walls of the sporangia violaceous, next the 

 base with broad expansions, in places more thickly grown 

 together, toward the surface becoming narrow with more 

 abundant fibrous threads, sometimes presenting a loose 

 irregular network, the whole structure, however, quite varia- 

 ble, according to the stage of the disintegration. vSporcs 

 globose, violet, minutely warted, 14-16 mic. in diameter. 



Growing on wood and bark, especially of pine. .Ethalium 

 2 or 3 to several centimeters in extent. This is Amaurocho'te 

 atra of Rostafinski's monograph, but the structure appears to 

 be altogether similar to that of Reticnlaria umhriiia. 



II. CLATHROPTYCHIUM, Rost. .Ethalium compo.sed 

 of numerous regular erect sporangia, seated in a single compact 

 stratum, on a well-developed hypothallus, the surface formed 

 by the coherent apices. Sporangia at first cylindric, with the 

 apex convex and the wall entire; soon, by mutual pressure, 

 they become prismatic and the lateral faces disappear, leaving 

 the edges and the apex permanent. Spores globose, ochra- 

 ceous. 



I. CLATHROPTYCHIUM RUGULOSUM, Wallr. ^thalium 

 composed of numerous very slender sporangia, closely com- 

 pacted into a single stratum, and seated on a conspicuous 

 silvery hypothallus; the surface ochroleucous, honey color or 

 olivaceous. The sporangia are typically hexangular when 

 the lateral faces disappear, leaving at the edges six simple 

 triangular threads, extending from the angles of the hex- 

 agonal apex downward to the base. Spores in the mass 

 ochraceous, yellowish or brownish, globose, minutely warted, 

 8-10 mic. in diameter. 



