reticularia] retictjlariaceae 199 



1. R. Lycoperdon Bull. I.e., t. 446, f. 4 (1791). Plasmodium 

 creamy- white. Aethalium pulvinate or subglobose, 5 mm. 

 to 6 cm. diam., brownish copper-coloured or enclosed in a 

 thin smooth silvery cortex, seated on a well-developed hypo- 

 thallus of interwoven membranous strands. Capillitium con- 

 sisting of the persistent remains of the sporangium- walls, 

 forming irregular branching strands arising from the 

 hypothallus, dividing above into numerous slender flattened 

 and flexuose rusty-brown threads. Spores somewhat 

 turbinate, rusty-brown, thickened and closely reticulated 

 on the rounded side, the remaining part marked with scattered 

 warts, 6 to 8 \x diam. — Rost. Mon., p. 240 ; Mass. Mon., 93 ; 

 Macbr. X. Am. Slime-Moulds, 149. R. argentea Poiret in Lam. 

 Encycl. Meth., vi. 183 (1804). R. umbrina Fr. Syst. Myc, 

 hi. 87 (1829). R. jurana Meylan in Bull. Soc. Vaud., xliv. 

 297 (1908). Lycogala argentea Pers. in Roemer N. Mag. Bot., 

 i. 87(1794). L. turbinata Pers. Syn. Fung., 158(1801). Fuligo 

 Lycoperdon Schum. Enum. PL Saell., ii. 193 (1803). 



PI. 154. — a. aethalium ; 6. capillitium ; c. spores (England). 



When developed in a moist atmosphere under a glass shade, the barren 

 silvery cortex formed by the drying of the outer ends of the sporangia 

 is not produced, and the convolute sporangia are filled with spores 

 to their apices, which gives an irregular brain-like surface to the 

 aethalium. In some gatherings the walls of the sporangia are much 

 more persistent than in others, and have almost the character of 

 Enteridium, to which genus Reticularia is closely allied. M. Meylan 

 has courteously sent us specimens of what he regards as a new species, 

 R. jurana, (B.M. 2824), obtained from several stations in the Jura 

 Mountains, at an elevation of from 1,300 to 1,500 m. ; he gives as the 

 distinguishing characters the small size of the aethalia, which measure 

 5 to 10 mm. diam., their fragile copper-coloured surface walls, and the 

 faint reticulation of the spores. Similar aethalia are not unfrequent 

 in the British Isles, and appear to be forms of R. Lycoperdon resulting 

 from small plasmodia matured in sheltered situations. 



Hab. On dead wood. Common in the British Isles. — Bristol 

 (B.M. 18) ; Leytonstone, Essex (B.M. 1447) ; Luton, Beds (B.M. 

 2823) ; Cornwall (B.M. 2821) ; Ireland (B.M. 2822) ; Germany (B.M. 

 649) ; Sweden (K. 977) ; Portugal (B.M. 2825) ; Ceylon (B.M. 2826) ; 

 Wasliington State (B.M. 2827) ; Massachusetts (B.M. 2826). 



Reticularia apiospora Berk. & Br., R. atrorufa, Berk. & Curt., R. 

 venulosa Berk. & Curt, and R. fulignosa Berk. & Br. do not belong to 

 the Mycetozoa (see Petch in Ann. Perad., iv. 311, 312). 



Genus 36.— LICEOPSIS Torrend in Bull. Soc. Portug. 

 Sci. Xat., ii. 63 (1908). Sporangia closely compacted, 

 sessile, subglobose, with fragile membranous walls. Capilli- 

 tium either consisting of slender branching threads and strands 

 with membranous expansions at the axils, or wanting. 



1. L. lobata Torrend I.e. Plasmodium watery- white. 

 Sporangia closely clustered, rarely solitary, subglobose, 



N 2 



