comatricha] stemoxitaceae 155 



Hab. On dead wood, twigs, etc. — Leytonstone, Essex (B.M. 1390) ; 

 Surrey (B.M. 2592); Lyme Regis, Dorset (B.M. 1391); Hants (B.M. 

 2593); Cornwall (B.M. 2591); Germany (Strassb. Herb.); Norway 

 (B.M. slide) ; Portugal (B.M. 2594) ; Japan (B.M. 2595) ; New Jersey 

 (B.M. 1800) ; Philadelphia (B.M. 2596). 



4. C. elegans Lister Brit. Mus. Guide to Brit. Mycet., 

 31 (1909). Plasmodium white. Sporangia scattered or 

 gregarious, globose, 0-2 to 05 mm. diam., purplish-brown. 

 Stalks black, slender, subulate, 0*6 to 1 mm. high. Columella 

 short, soon dividing into the few straight primary branches of 

 the capillitium ; these again branch repeatedly and form towards 

 the surface of the sporangium a loose tangle of slender flexuose 

 anastomosing threads ; spores pale brownish- violet, very 

 faintly spmulose, 8 to 10 /x diam. — Bostafinskia elegans Racib. 

 in Rozpr. Mat. Przyr. Akad. Krak., xii. 77 (1884) ; Torrend 

 Fl. Myx., 132. Raciborskia elegans Berl. in Sacc. Syll., vii. 400 

 (1888) ; Mass. Mon., 108 ; Lister Mycetozoa, 133. 



PI. 124. — h. sporangia (Ceylon) ; i. k. sporangia after dispersion of spores ; I. 

 capillitium threads ; m. n. spores. 



Although closely allied to C. nigra and connected with it by inter- 

 mediate gatherings, this form has now been obtained from many parts 

 of the world retaining the characteristic branching of the capillitium. 

 C. elegans shows considerable resemblance to Lamproderma arcyrionema, 

 but differs in the completely evanescent sporangium-wall and in the 

 larger spores. 



Hab. On dead wood.— Near Salisbury, Wilts (B.M. 2597) ; North 

 Wales (B.M. 2598) ; Moffat, Scotland (B.M. 2599) ; Sweden (B.M. 

 2601); Poland (Raciborski's type) ; Portugal (B.M. 2602) ; Ceylon 

 (B.M. 2603) ; Japan (B.M. 2605) ; South Carolina (B.M. 922) ; 

 Colorado (B.M. 2604). 



5. C. lurida Lister Mycetozoa, 119 (1894). Plasmodium 

 watery-white. Total height 1*25 mm. Sporangia globose 

 or subovoid, erect, 0*5 mm. diam., stalked, scattered, purplish- 

 brown ; sporangium- wall evanescent. Stalk setaceous, black, 

 shining, 0*75 mm. long, rising from a circular brown hypo- 

 thallus. Columella cylindrical, reaching to half the height 

 of the sporangium, dividing into stout branches at the apex, 

 and continued into the capillitium. Capillitium dark purplish- 

 brown throughout, spreading from the upper part of the 

 columella in flexuose anastomosing threads, with slender 

 brown free ends. Spores spherical or subovoid, purplish-grey, 

 coarsely warted, 8 to 10 jx diam. — Torrend Fl. Myx., 135. 



PI. 127. — a. sporangia (England) ; b. columella and capillitium, with a frag- 

 ment of sporangium-wall to which spores are adhering ; c. spore. 



This species has the habit of Lamproderma scintillans, from which it 

 is distinguished by the evanescent sporangium- wall, the more branching 

 columella, the uniform colour of the flexuose capillitium, and also by 

 the larger and more strongly warted spores. It resembles some forms 

 of C. nigra, but differs essentially in the spores and habitat. 



