physarum] physaraceae 63 



28. P. carneum G. Lister & Sturgis in Journ. Bot., xlviii. 

 73 (1910). Plasmodium ? Sporangia gregarious, stalked, 

 subglobose, 0-4 to 0*6 mm. diam., ochraceous-yellow, with 

 a pinkish flesh-coloured base, smooth or rugulose ; sporangium- 

 wall membranous, pale yellow, with evenly distributed 

 deposits of lime-granules, thicker at the base. Stalk cylin- 

 drical, pinkish flesh-coloured, translucent, without deposits 

 of lime, 0*2 to 0-3 mm. high. Capillitium a dense network 

 of fragile angular and branching white lime-knots with short 

 connecting hyaline threads. Spores purplish-brown, spinulose, 

 8 /x diam. 



This species was found in sonie abundance on dead wood, on Cheyenne 

 Mt., Colorado Springs, by Dr. W. C. Sturgis, in the autumn of 1908. 

 It appears to be allied to P. citrinellam Peck, but differs in the mem- 

 branous sporangium-wall, in the closer network of the capillitium, in 

 the slender flesh-coloured stalks, and smaller spores. 



Hab. On dead wood.— Colorado (B.M. 3188). 



29. P. brunneolum Mass. Mon., 280 (1892). Plasmodium ? 

 Sporangia globose, or subglobose and slightly depressed, 

 stalked or sessile, 0-6 to 0-9 mm. diam., gregarious, yellow- 

 brown, glossy ; sporangium-wall dehiscing in revolute lobes, 

 consisting of two layers, the outer yellow-brown, cartilagin- 

 ous, the inner membranous, enclosing abundant deposits of 

 white lime-granules. Stalk firm, cylindrical, red-brown or 

 nearly black, without lime, 0-2 to 0-4 mm. high. Capillitium 

 a network of colourless threads with numerous large irregular 

 white linie-knots, some of which may coalesce to form a pseudo- 

 columella. Spores purple-brown, spinulose, 8 to 10 p. diam. 

 Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 32. Diderma brunneolum 

 Phill. in Grev., v. 114 (1877) ; see note under Craterium 

 pedunculatum Trentep., Lister Mycetozoa, 71. 



PI. 69. — a, b. sporangia from Portugal and California ; c. capillitium and spores, 

 with fragment of sporangium-wall ; d. spore. 



This species resembles Craterium minutum Fr. in the texture and 

 colour of the sporangium-wall, but differs strikingly in having no lid, 

 as well as in the more delicate capillitium threads, and rougher spores. 

 The type specimen, marked Diderma brunneolum in Phillips' herbarium, 

 was gathered in California by Dr. Harkness in 1877, and consisted of 

 sessile sporangia only. Since then this species has twice been collected 

 in Portugal by Dr. C. Torrend, who found it on dead leaves of Agave 

 americana and on fir bark, with both stalked and sessile sporangia. 



Hab. On dead bark and leaves. — California (B.M. slide) ; Portugal 

 (B.M. 2154). 



30. P. nucleatum Rex in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1891, 

 389. Plasmodium ? Total height 1 to 2 mm. Sporangia 

 globose, stalked, erect or inclined, - 5 mm. diam., white, rarely 

 iridescent from absence of lime ; sporangium-wall membranous, 

 with scattered included clusters of white lime-granules. Stalk 



