STEMONTTIS] STEMONITAOEAE 147 



is from a later gathering, with much of the character of (a), but approach- 

 ing nearer to the normal form. Mounting (c) is from a crop appearing 

 a month later than (b), in which there is a still more marked return to 

 the usual habit, with the meshes of the net 30 to 60 /a wide. The width 

 of the mesh varies much in Rostafinski's specimens from Cuba and Texas 

 (referred to in Rost. Mon., App. p. 27). In that from Cuba (B.M. 630) 

 the average width of the mesh is 70 /x; in that from Texas (K. 1631) 

 it is 20 fx. S. Morgani Peck, as illustrated by Ellis & Everhardt in X. 

 Am. Fungi, 2088, and S. Bauerlinii Mass. from New Guinea (K. 726), 

 are essentially the same form as the Cuba specimen, the mesh of 

 the superficial net averaging about 60 /x in width. The var. Webberi, 

 published by Dr. Rex as Stemonitis Webberi, has a wider surface mesh 

 than the typical form ; the type from Kansas is described as having the 

 spores ferruginous-coloured in mass, and the surface capillitium pale ; 

 the mounted specimens do not show this difference of colour. 

 This variety has been repeatedly gathered in Cornwall and the west 

 of Ireland, as well as in Japan and North America. The var. flaccida, 

 though closely resembling and merging into the var. Webberi, has even 

 more lax and broken capillitium, and weaker columellas ; the latter are 

 sometimes imperfectly formed or absent, and the sporangia more or 

 less confluent ; the spores in mass are rich purple-brown. It appears 

 to be common in the British Isles and throughout Europe, and has 

 also been found in several of the United States of America. These 

 two varieties are the only forms of S. splendens that have hitherto 

 been found in the British Isles. In looking through a large series of 

 specimens of this group there is a general character which rims 

 through them all in the appearance of the spores and in the 

 smooth purple-brown capillitium, which points to the conclusion 

 that however widely the size of the mesh of the surface-net may 

 vary, they are all forms of one species. The type of S. acuminata 

 Mass. from the Cape is the typical form of S. splendens with spores 

 measuring 7 to 8 /a (not 13 to 14 ft as given in Mass. Mon., 78.) 



Hob. On dead wood.— Germany (B.M. 619) ; Italy (B.M. 999) ; 

 Angola (B.M. 1637); Natal (K. 694); Uganda (B.M. 1162); Mada- 

 gascar (Herb. Massee) ; Ceylon (Herb. Peradeniya) ; Australia (K. 

 716) ; New Zealand (K. 688) ; New Caledonia (B.M. 1093) ; Samoa 

 (B.M. 1372) ; Japan (B.M. 2005) ; Iowa (B.M. 820) ; Ohio (B.M. 1373) ; 

 Darien (B.M. 913) ; Cuba (B.M. 630) ; French Guiana (Paris Herb.) ; 

 Brazil (B.M. 1089) : var. Webberi— Falmouth (B.M. 2531); Killarney 

 (B.M. 2532) ; Ceylon (B.M. 1740) ; Japan (B.M. 2533) ; Ohio (B.M. 

 1375) ; Jamaica (B.M. 2534) : var. flaccida— Devon (B.M. 1377) 

 London (B.M. 2535) ; Surrey (B.M. 2537) ; Cambridge (B.M. 2538) 

 Germany (B.M. 2539); Sweden (B.M. 2540); Bohemia (B.M. 2541) 

 New Zealand (B.M. 2542) ; Ohio (B.M. 1376). 



3. S. confluens Cooke & Ellis in Grev., v. 51 (1876). 

 Plasmodium white. Sporangia clustered, confluent ; stalks 

 short, indistinct ; columellae branched and irregular ; surface 

 net when present with wide irregular meshes. Spores reddish- 

 purple, 8 to 11 fx diam., spinulose. — Mass. Mon., 77 ; Macbr. 

 N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 114. S. splendens var. confluens Lister 

 Mycetozoa, 112. 



PI. 121.— fc. spore (England). 



