Retwularia. 93 



anastomose. The structure of the entire body may be compared 

 with the dense clusters of sporangia in Stemonitis, differing in 

 the irregularity of the sporangia and absence of sporangial walls. 

 Enteridium Rozeanum bears a close resemblance to the present 

 genus, but there the capillitium is formed from the walls of 

 the component sporangia. Several exotic species placed by 

 Berkeley in Reticularia belong to the genus Chromosporium. 

 Distrib. Europe and N. America. Species 3. 



Reticularia lycoperdon, Host. (figs. 311, 312). 



Aethalium large, pulvinate, completely surrounded by a 

 delicate cortex which varies from dull umber, through reddish- 

 br9wn, to pale grey with a silvery lustre ; sometimes rough with 

 irregular, yellowish, minute warts; threads of the capillitium 

 springing from the base, consisting of erect, columella-like 

 portions with slender, anastomosing branches ; spores in the 

 mass varying from umber to chestnut-colour, globose, about one- 

 half the surface, of the spore covered with a regular network of 

 raised lines, the remainder smooth, 7 9 p. diameter. 



Reticularia lycoperdon, Host., Mon., p. 240, figs. 3, 4, 6, 13 ; 

 Cke., Myx. Brit., p. 60, figs. 3, 4, 6, 13 ; Sacc., Syll., vii., n. 1424. 



Exsicc. Fuckel, Fung. Rhen., n. 2583. 



On wood, bark, &c. Britain (Bristol, Kew, Ecclesfield, 

 Scarboro', Carlisle, Coed Coch, Linlithgow) ; Europe ; United 

 States. 



Forming lumps varying from 1 3 inches across, more or less 

 circular or elongated, sometimes compressed, at others pulvinate, 

 and 1 in. or more high. Care must be taken not to confound 

 small specimens of the present species with Lycogala epidendrum, 

 which differs in the thick capillitium threads with ornamented 

 walls. 



(Rostafinski's Synonyms.) 



Lycogala griseum major, Mich., t. 95, f. 1 (1729). 



Lycoperdon fuscum, Huds. Fl. Aug., 645 (1778). 



Mucor lycogalus, Bott., t. 133, f. 2 (1789). 



Reticularia lycoperdon, Bull., t. 446, f. 4, t. 476, f. 13 (1791). 



