physarum] physaraceae 77 



present species corresponding to the " elastic capillitium elongated 

 after dehiscence " characterising P. Famintzini, the affinity of which, 

 must in the absence of the type remain uncertain. 



Hab. On twigs, herbaceous stems, etc. — Kiel, Germany (herb. Dr. 

 R. Trilling); Sweden (B.M. 1941); Switzerland (B.M. 2288); Java 

 (Herb. Penzig). 



45. P. echinosporum Lister in Journ. Bot., xxxvii. 147, t. 

 398, fig. 1, a, b, c (1899). Plasmodium? Sporangia scattered, 

 forming chalk-white usually curved plasmodiocarps, strongly 

 compressed laterally, dehiscing along the thin upper ridge ; 

 sporangium- wall of two layers, the outer smooth, eggshell- 

 like, charged with minute lime-granules, separating from 

 the inner membranous iridescent pale purplish layer. 

 Capillitium consisting of numerous smooth white lime-knots, 

 irregular in shape and size, connected by short hyaline threads. 

 Spores purple, 8 //. diam., marked with strong ridges and 

 spines. — Torrend Fl. Myx., 178. 



PI. 53. — a. sporangia ; b. capillitium and spores ; c. spore ; (Antigua). 

 Hab. On dead leaves. — Antigua (B.M. 1940). 



46. P. sinuosum Weinm. ex Fr. Syst. Myc, iii. 145 (1829). 

 Plasmodium white. Sporangia sessile, scattered, elongated, 

 laterally compressed, sinuous or branched, equal in breadth 

 from the base to the flattened upper ridge, which at length 

 splits longitudinally, or sometimes pulvinate and bursting 

 irregularly, white, grey, or yellowish ; sporangium-wall 

 double, the outer layer with copious deposits of lime, smooth 

 or reticulated, the inner wrinkled and colourless, showing 

 as a pale membrane along the fine of dehiscence, adhering 

 to the outer layer below. Capillitium consisting of numerous 

 white, often branching lime-knots, varying in shape and size, 

 connected by rather short hyaline threads. Spores violet- 

 brown, spinulose, 8 to 10 fi diam. — Rost. Mon., p. 112 ; 

 Mass. Mon., 305 ; Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 28. Reti- 

 cular ia sinuosa Bull. Champ., 94, t. 446, fig. 3 (1791). 

 Physarum bivalve Pers. in Usteri Ann. Bot., xv. 5 (1795) ; 

 Lister Mycetozoa, 57 (1894). Angioridium sinuosum Grev. 

 Scot, Crypt. Fl., t. 310 (1828). Diderma valvatum Fr. Syst, 

 Myc, iii. 109 (1829). Carcerina valvata Fr. Summ. Veg. 

 Scand., 451 (1849). 



PI. 49. — a. sporangia (Essex) ; b. capillitium and spores, with fragment of 

 sporangium-wall ; c. spore. 



The characters of this abundant and widely distributed species are 

 retained on the whole with great constancy. It is closely allied to both 

 P. bitectum and P. bogoriense, differing from the former in having the 

 inner sporangium-wall wrinkled and colourless, in the smaller lime- 

 knots, and in the uniformly spinulose spores, and from the latter 

 species in the dehiscence of the sporangia along the upper ridge only, 

 and in the larger darker spores. 



