156 EXDOSPOREAE [COMATRICHA 



Hah. On dead leaves, especially those of holly and ivy. — Lyme 

 Regis, Dorset (B.M. 1399) : Reigate, Surrey (B.M. 2606) ; Witley, 

 Surrsy (B.M. 2607). 



6. C. pulchella Rost. Mon., App. p. 27 (1876). Plas- 

 modium watery-white. Total height 0-7 to 2 mm. Sporangia 

 ovoid or cylindrical, stalked, scattered, lilac- or rufous- 

 brown ; sporangium- wall evanescent. Stalk black, 02 

 to 0-5 mm. high, rising from a circular, membranous 

 hypothallus. Columella reaching nearly to the apex of the 

 sporangium. Capillitium a network of flexuose anastomosing 

 brown threads springing from all parts of the columella, 

 looped at the surface, with few free ends. Spores pale lilac- 

 brown oi flesh-coloured, minutely warted, 6 to 8 /x diam. — 

 Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 129. Stemonitis pulchella 

 Church. Bab. in Proc. Linn. Soc, i. 32 (1839) (nomen) ; Berk, in 

 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 1, vi. 431, t. 12, fig. 11 ; Mass. Mon., 

 86. Comatricha Persoonii Rost. Mon., p. 201 (1875) ; Lister 

 Mycetozoa, 122. 



Var. 1 . — tenerrima Lister : sporangia shortly cylindrical ; 

 stalks 0*5 to 1-5 mm. high ; spores and slender capillitium 

 threads flesh-coloured ; on dead leaves and herbaceous stems. — 

 Stemonitis tenerrima Curt, in Sill. Am. Journ., vi. 352 (1848) ; 

 Berk. & Curt, in Grev., ii. 69. 



Var. 2. — fusca Lister : sporangia as in the type, but with 

 more rigid purplish-brown capillitium, and pale greyish- 

 brown spores ; on dead leaves and twigs. — Lister in Journ. 

 Bot., xxxv. 215 (1897). 



Var. 3. — gracilis Lister : sporangia narrowly cylindrical ; 

 stalks 0*2 to 0*5 mm. high ; capillitium threads usually uniting 

 to form a close uneven surface net ; spores pale violet-grey, 

 very faintly warted, 5*6 to 7 /a; on dead wood — C. gracilis 

 Wingate in Ellis & Everh. N. Am. Fung. ser. 2, no. 2094 (1888). 

 C. Persoonii Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 132, in part. 



PI. 126. — a. sporangia (England) ; b. capillitium and spores ; c. spore ; d. capillitium 

 and spores of var. fusca ; e. spore ; /. sporangia of var. tenerrima (England) ; g. h. 

 capillitium and spores of same : i sporangia of var. uracils (Japan) ; k. I. capillitium 

 and spores of same. 



This species is allied to C. nigra and G. laxa, but differs in the paler 

 capillitium, and in the paler and more distinctly warted spores. The 

 typical form is not uncommon in the British Isles and in Europe, 

 but appears to be rare elsewhere ; the vars. tenerrima and gracilis 

 are widely distributed. 



Hub. On dead leaves : var. gracilis on dead wood. — Lyme Regis, 

 Dorset (B.M. 1396) ; Bristol (B.M. 230) ; Batheaston, Somerset (B M. 

 221); Flitwick, Beds (B.M. 1398); Wanstead, Essex (B.M. 1397); 

 North Wales (B.M. 2608) ; Germany (B.M. 2609) ; Switzerland (B.M. 

 2610); var. fusca— Batheaston (B.M. 224); Wanstead (B.M. 2611); 



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