Stemonitis.] BRITISH MYCETOZOA. 27 



Spores grey, or rufous-violet, closely reticulate and spinulose, 6 to 

 10 fj, diam. 



Var. confluelis is an asthalioid form without superficial net 

 or columella;. 



Hab. On dead wood. Common. 



2. S. splendens Rost. — Distinguished from S.fusca by the large 

 rounded meshes of the capillitium net, from three to fifteen times 

 the width of the spores, and by the almost smooth, reddish-purple 

 spores, 7 to 9 p diam., which, when magnified 1200 times, are seen 

 to be minutely and closely warted. 



Var. flaccida has slender, weak stalks, and the meshes of the 

 net very wide and broken. 

 Hab. On dead wood. 



3. S. ferruginea Ehrenb. — Sporangia cinnamon-brown, 5 to 



7 mm. high. Meshes of the capillitium net as in S. fusca, but the 

 threads more slender. Spores pale ferruginous, nearly smooth, 



8 to 9 fi. diam. Plasmodium yellow. 



Hab. On dead wood. 



4. S. Smitbii Macbr. — Distinguished from S. ferruginea by the 

 longer sporangia and minute spores, 4 to 6 /x diam. Plasmodium 

 white. 



Hab. On dead wood. 



Genus 14. COMATRICHA Preuss.— 

 Sporangia subglobose or cylindrical, 

 stalked, gregarious. Capillitium as in 

 Stemonitis, except that it is more dense, 

 and the ultimate branches do not unite to 

 form a superficial net. 



1. C. obtusata Preuss. — Sporangia 

 globose, ellipsoid, or cylindrical, purple- 

 brown. Total height, 1 to 6 mm. Stalks Fig. 22. 

 slender. Capillitium a dense tangle of Comatricha obtusata Preuss. 

 purplish-brown threads; ultimate branches a. Group of sporangia. Natural 

 usually looped. Spores brownish-violet, b sporangium deprived of 

 nearly smooth, 7 to 1 1 u. diam. fp?'" s .>} owi Pg > h S. t ? a P jl - 



i_ , „ ',' , r , „ htium. Magnified 16 times. 



Hab. On dead wood. Common. 



2. C. laxa Rost. — Distinguished from C. obtusata by the lax 

 capillitium, and by the branches spreading from the columella in a 

 more straight and radiating direction. 



Hab. On dead wood. 



3. C. lurida Lister. — Sporangia globose, purple-brown. Stalk 

 setaceous, 075 mm. long. The purple-brown flexuose capillitium 

 spreads from the upper half of the branching columella, which 

 reaches to half the height of the sporangium. Spores purplish-grey, 

 warted, 8 to 10 /a diam. 



Hab. On dead leaves. Hitherto only found at Lyme Regis. 



