208 ENDOSPOREAE [TRICHIA 



spirals to a great degree modified into complete rings, approaching 

 the markings on the elaters of Cornuvia Serpula ; and T. persimilis 

 under similar conditions has produced very short elaters with broad 

 rings and faint spirals of much the same character as in Oligonema 

 nitens (cp. Introduction, 16). With such blending of form, which 

 indicates a close relationship between all these species, the 

 characters given in the key must be taken as approximate, mark- 

 ing the mam centres around which the numerous varieties group 

 themselves. 



Hab. On dead wood.— Bulstrode, Bucks (B.M. 1114); Sutton, 

 Warwick (B.M. slide) ; Sweden (K. 1179) ; Baden Baden (B.M. 1451) 

 Salem, Germany (B.M. 777); Zurich, Switzerland (B.M. 1140) 

 Poland (Strassb. Herb.); Austria (B.M. 1829); Italy (B.M. 1952), 

 Portugal (B.M. 2847) ; Philadelphia (B.M. slide) ; Maine, U.S.A. 

 (B.M. 1616) ; Georgia (B.M. 2849) ; Iowa (B.M. 2848). 



2. T. verrucosa Berk, in Hooker Fl. Tasm., ii. 269 

 {I860). Plasmodium white. Total height 2 to 4 mm. Spor- 

 angia stalked, rarely sessile, pyriform or clavate, clustered 

 or solitary, 1-4 mm. high, 0*8 mm. broad, ochraceous-yellow, 

 mass of elaters and spores golden-yellow ; sporangium-wall 

 membranous, minutely and closely papillose on the inner 

 side pale yellow, sometimes with an outer layer thickened 

 by granular deposits. Stalks membranous, 1 to 2 mm. 

 high, usually combined in clusters of three or four, 

 rugose, yellow-brown, or dark brown. Capillitium of 

 long cylindrical elaters, 4 to 6 fx wide, with short conical 

 ends, marked with three to five narrow spiral bands, smooth, 

 or with a few scattered spines ; longitudinal striae distinct. 

 Spores reticulated with narrow, minutely pitted bands, 

 forming a network with about seven meshes to the hemis- 

 phere, 13 to 16 fi diam. ; border 1 /x wide. — Mass. Mon., 191 ; 

 Macbr. N. Am. Slime-Moulds, 215 ; Torrend Fl. Myx., 

 111. T. superba Mass. in Journ. R. Micr. Soc, 1889, 

 345 ; Mass. Mon., 194. 



PI. 161. — a. cluster of sporangia ; b. elater and spore ; (Java). ' 

 Berkeley's type from Tasmania (K. 17750) is somewhat immature, 

 but is sufficiently developed to be clearly identified as the same species 

 as T. superba Mass. from New Zealand. A fine specimen of the same 

 form from Chili, in the Strassburg Herb., is named by Rostafinski 

 T. chrysosperma (syn. T. favoginea) ; T. verrucosa is no doubt closely 

 allied that species, but the constancy of the characters of the stalked 

 sporangia and of the spores marked with a rather close reticulation of 

 narrow band3 forming a border scarcely 1 y. broad supports the specific 

 distinction. 



Hab. On dead wood.— Oxshott, Surrey (B.M. 2850) ; North Wales 

 (B.M. 2851); Moffat, Scotland (B.M. 1452); Portugal (B.M. 2852); 

 Java (B.M. 2853); Tasmania (K. 1750); New Zealand (K. 1166); 

 Japan (B.M. 2854) ; Dominica (B.M. 1753) ; Washington State 

 (B.M. 2855); Brazil (B.M. 2856); Chili (Strassb. Herb.). 



