The Myxomycetes of Eastern Iowa. 385 



nodules which are rather small and rounded; numerous fila- 

 ments near the sporangium wall contain no lime; spores pale, 

 unequal, dull violet or sooty, minutely papillose, 9-14 /i. 



This species is near P. leucopus Rost., but is I believe dis- 

 tinct. The marks of difference are seen in the uniformly thin 

 smooth wall of the globular capsule, the delicate capillitium 

 with small lime nodules and the pale, almost smooth spores. 



3. Craterium pedunculatum Trcntcfohl. Plate XI, Fig, 4. 



Sporangia gregarious, stipitate, each a wine-glass-shaped 

 cup or urn, dull brown in color, brighter at base and rim,, 

 closed by a thin white operculum which is flat or only slightly 

 convex and lies a little below the level of the rim; stipe short, 

 about equal to the cup or less, wrinkled with longitudinal plica- 

 tions which pass upward, appearing slightly on the base of the 

 cup, brown or amber colored, resting upon a small but dis- 

 tinct hypothallus; columella less distinct; capillitium crowded 

 with rather uniform snow-white lime nodules; spores black in 

 mass, pale violet b}' transmitted light, minutel}^ roughened, 



IO-I2,«. 



Our specimens of this species seem to correspond well with 

 Rostatinski's figures of C. vulgarc, and it must be admitted that 

 specimens from the same plasmodium sometimes show equally 

 well the characters thought to be distinctive of C. tninutitm. 

 If then C. Tiilgare Ditm., C. miimtuin R., C. -pedtmculatum 

 Trent., C. pvriformc Ditm., are all synon3'ms, it is only a ques- 

 tion of priority which specific name shall be adopted. Trente- 

 pohl seems to have referred the species to its appropriate 

 genus and Raunkiser has, it seems, properly acknowledged the 

 fact by returning to the old specific name. If Trentepohl's 

 specific name be not adopted, then Rostafinski's should stand 

 and there would seem to be no reasonable excuse for rejecting 

 all the synonymy of the past and introducing at this date a 

 new specific name (once varietal), as con/usmii Massee, and 

 thus increasing the confusion instead of relieving it. The lit- 

 erature is burdened with S3'nonyms as it is, and it certainly 



