26 



BRITISH MYCETOZOA. 



[Spumaria. 



Genus ii. SPUMARIA Persoon. — Sporangia confluent, forming 

 an aethalium enclosed in a mass of white lime-crystals ; the other 

 characters as in Didymium. 



i. S. alba DC. — Sporangia elongate and lobed, usually pene- 

 trated by a hollow columella. Capillitium much branched. Spores 

 dull purple, strongly spinulose, 10 to 13 /x diam. 



Hab. On grass, dead leaves, etc. 



Spumaria alba DC. 



a. JEthalium. Natural size. 



b. Capillitium and fragment 01 



sporangium-wall, with crys- 

 tals of calcium carbonate 

 and two spores. Magnified 

 200 times. 



Fig. 20. 

 Lefidoderma tigrinum Rost. 



a. Sporangium. Magnified 6 



times. 



b. Capillitium and spores. Mag- 



nified 140 times. 



Genus 12. LEPIDODERMA de Bary. — Sporangium-wall carti- 

 laginous, beset with superficial crystalline discs or scales. Capillitium 

 usually rigid. 



1. L. tigrinum Rost. — Sporangia subglobose, flattened beneath, 

 dull olive, crystalline discs white. Stalk and hemispherical colu- 

 mella dull orange. Capillitium threads purple. Spores dark 

 purplish-grey, minutely spinulose, 8 to 13 ft diam. 



Hab. On bark, etc. 



Sub-cohort U.—AMA UROCHAZTINEAZ. 



ORDER I.— STEMONITACE.E. 



Stemonitis splendens Rost 



«. Group of sporangia. Natural 



size. 

 b. Portion of capillitium and 



columella. Magnified 42 



times. 



Genus 13. STEMONITIS Gleditsch.— 

 Sporangia cylindrical, stipitate, fasciculate; 

 stalk continued as a columella to near 

 the apex of the sporangium. Capillitium 

 radiating from all parts of the columella, 

 the ultimate branches normally uniting to 

 form a superficial net. 



1. S. fusca Roth. — Sporangia dark or 

 reddish-brown, 4 to 15 mm. high. Super- 

 ficial net of the capillitium with angular 

 meshes varying in size from less than 

 to three times the width of the spore. 



