150 ENDOSPOREAE [STEMONITIS 



Hartham, Wilts (B.M. 210) ; Wilmslow, Cheshire (B.M. 1381) ; North 

 Wales (B.M. 2562); Aberdeen (B.M. 2561); France (Paris Herb.); 

 Germany (K. 778) ; Hungary (K. 1616) ; Bohemia (B.M. 2563). 



7. S. ferruginea Ehrenb. Sylv. Myc. Berol., 25 (1818). 

 Plasmodium white. Total height 7 to 20 mm. Sporangia 

 cylindrical, densely fasciculate, stalked, cinnamon-brown. 

 Stalks black, 3 to 7 mm. long, arising from a membranous 

 hypothallus. Columella ceasing below the apex of the spor- 

 angium. Capillitium much as in S. flavogenita, but the super- 

 ficial net is connected with the columella by fewer branches 

 and has rounded, more regular meshes, 5 to 10 /x diam. ; the 

 threads of the surface net are usually rather stout. Spores pale 

 ferruginous, nearly smooth, 4 to 6 /x diam. — Rost. Mon., p. 196, 

 in part ; Mass. Mon., 85, in part ; Jahn in Abh. Bot. Ver. 

 Brandenb., xlv. 164 (1904). Trichia axifera Bull. Champ., 

 118, t. 477, fig. 1 (1791) ? S. fasciculate Schum. Enum. PL 

 Saell., ii. 216 (1803) ? S. violacea Schum. I.e. ? S. Smithii 

 Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 121 ; Lister Myoetozoa, 115. 

 S. micros'pora Lister in litt. ex Morgan Myx. Miami Valley, 

 54 (1894). 



Var. Smithii Lister : sporangia 3 to 6 mm. high, with surface 

 net of very slender threads, and intermediate capillitium well 

 developed. — 8. Smithii Macbr. in Bull. Nat. Hist., ii. 381 

 (1893). 8. subclavata Zoll. in Flora, xxx. 301 (1847) ? 



PI. 119. — e. sporangia of various sizes (England); /. capillitium; g. spore. 



This abundant and widely distributed species is subject to much 

 variation in the size of the sporangia and the stoutness of the capillitium. 

 The type of var. Smithii from Nicaragua has minute sporangia 

 with capillitium showing abundant intermediate network and a very 

 slender surface net ; the same form has now been found in many places, 

 and is connected with typical S. ferruginea by numerous gatherings 

 showing intermediate characters : it bears considerable resemblance to 

 Comatricha typhoides var. microspore* from which it is distinguished by 

 the more even and perfect surface net and the smoother spores. 



Hob. On dead wood. — Epping Forest, Essex (B.M. 1384) ; Dudley, 

 Stafford (B.M. 1382) ; Luton, Beds (B.M. 1383) ; Reigate, Surrey 

 <B.M. 2567) ; Northumberland (B.M. 2569) ; Aberdeen (B.M. 2568) ; 

 ■Germany (B.M. 2570) ; Switzerland (B.M. 2565) ; Bohemia (K. 729) ; 

 Austria (B.M. 1830); Sweden (B.M. 2571); Ceylon (B.M. 646); 

 New Zealand (K. 771); Australia (K. 758); Philippine Islands 

 (B.M. 2049) ; Japan (B.M. 2566) ; Iowa (B.M. 819) ; Ohio (B.M. 

 1386); Maps., U.S.A. (B.M. 641); South Carolina (B.M. 644); 

 Antigua (B.M. 1672); Darien (B.M. 643): Chili (Paris Herb. ); Brazil 

 (B.M. 1092) : var. Smithii — Yorks (B.M. 2572) ; Jura Mountains 

 (B.M. 2573); Ceylon (B.M. 2574); Java (B.M. 2575); Montreal 

 (B.M. 2576) ; New York (B.M. 2577) ; Ohio (B.M. 1387) ; Nicaragua 

 (B.M. 1004). 



