Ophiotheca. 131 



Closely allied on the one hand to Perichaena, and on the 

 other to Arcyria. Differs from the latter in the sessile, much 

 compressed sporangia often becoming aethalioid, presence of 

 lime in the wall, and the capillitium with numerous free arms 

 and attached to the wall at many points. From Perichaena 

 in the threads of the capillitium being in some way ornamented. 

 Lachnobolus differs in the stipitate sporangia. 



Distrib. Europe ; United States ; Cuba ; Ceylon. Species 9. 



A. Threads of capillitium spinulose. 



^Ophiotheca circumscissa, Curr. 



Sporangia either regular, circular, depressed, or dehiscing in 

 an irregularly circumscissile manner, or becoming aethalioid, 

 sinuous, and often combined into a network ; wall smooth, 

 chestnut, or brown; mass of capillitium and spores yellow; 

 threads of capillitium 2 4 /* thick, with scattered, straight, or 

 bent spines, 1 2 /u, long, combined to form an irregular network, 

 with numerous free arms often slightly incrassated at the tips ; 

 spores globose, smooth, 8 19 p diameter. 



Ophiotheca chrysosperma, Curr. Quart. Micr. Journ., v., ii , 

 p. 240, t. 9, f. 15. 



Cornuvia circumscissa, Host., Mon., p. 290 ; Cke., Myx. Brit., 

 p. 76; Sacc., Syll., n. 1452; Schroeter, Kr. Fl. Schles., 108. 



Gornuvia dictyocarpa, Crupa, Cosmos, Lemberg, 1866; Sacc., 

 Syll., n. 1453. 



On bark. Britain ; Germany ; France ; Switzerland. 



(Rostafinski's Synonyms.) 



Lignidium quercimim, Fr., Stirp. Femsp., 83 (1825). 

 Trichia circumscissa, Wallr., Fl. Cr. Germ., n. 2219 (1833). 

 Arcyria glomerata, Fr., Sun. Veg. Scand., 457 (1849). 

 Ophiotheca chrysosperma, Microsc. Journ., p. 240, t. 9, f. 1 5 



(1854), 

 Trichia Curreyi, Crouan, 1. c., 16 (1867). 



