162 THE JOURNAL OP BOTANY 



explodens." There is no doubt that this refers to Fuligo septica 

 J. F. Gmelin. The reference to Jean Marchant's article quoted 

 above is insufficient, and not quite correct. The full title of the 

 article, in which the general appearance and growth of this species 

 is graphically described, is as follows : — " Touchant une Vegetation 

 particuliere qui nait sur l'Ecorce du Chene battue et mise en 

 poudre, vulgairement appellee du Tan," published in Hist. d'Mcm. 

 de V Academic Boyale des Sciences, p. 335, tab. 14, fig. 1, 2 ; read 

 Dec. 1727 ; published 1729. A short abstract of this paper is 

 given on pp. 40, 41 of the same volume. 



" Mucor embolus. M. seta nigra, villo fusco. Embolus 

 seta nigra villo fusco, Fl. Suec. n. 1138, 1288. Embolus 

 niijcmmus villo albo adspersus. Hall. helv. 8, t. 1, fig. 1." This 

 is given by Fries as a synonyn for Stemonitis ovata Persoon, a 

 species now known as Comatricha nigra (Pers.) Schroeter, but it 

 would seem that the description and Haller's illustration might 

 apply equally well to Comatricha typhoides (Bull.) Host, or to 

 several species of Stemonitis (see note on specimen marked 

 " Embolus" below). It is not surprising that the earlier authors 

 failed to distinguish these species, for their characters can only be 

 completely recognized with the aid of microscopic appliances 

 unknown in their day. 



In the Linnean Herbarium the following species are 

 represented. 



Within the cover marked " Clathrus " are four specimens of 

 Stemonitis, each fastened down on a separate sheet. 



With Dr. Jackson's permission I took a little of the spore-dust 

 and some minute fragments of broken capillitium that were lying 

 loose on the sheets, and examined them under the microscope. 

 Fortunately in this genus the size and markings of the spores 

 usually afford characters by which the species can be recognized. 



On the first sheet is a specimen of Stemonitis ferruginea 

 Ehrenb. The long-stalked sporangia form a fair-sized tuft, and 

 measure 11 mm. in total height. The fragment of capillitium 

 examined shows a close surface-net of rather stout threads, 

 attached to the columella by few strong branches ; the pale 

 reddish spores are 4 to 5 n diam. The sheet is marked in Linne's 

 hand " Clathrus 3 nudus " ; the numeral 3 refers to C. nudus 

 being the third species described by him in the genus. 



The specimen on the second sheet is also Stemonitis ferruginea 

 Ehrenb. The sporangia are similar to those on the first sheet, 

 except that the spores are rather larger and average 5 //, diam. The 

 sheet is headed " Clathrus Linn. spec. 3, p. 1179 " in the hand- 

 writing of Professor Johan Leche. At the foot of the paper Sir 

 J. E. Smith * has written " nudus " in pencil ; below this, again, 

 is written in a neat foreign hand : — " In parcecia Ulfsby, Biorne- 



* Sir James Edward Smith, the British botanist (1759-1828), purchased 

 the Linnean Herbarium in 1784 from the widow of Linne. He was the first 

 President of the Linnean Society, founded 1788. 



