Arcyria. 149 



(Type in Herb., Kew.) 



Distinguished amongst the red species by the cylindrical 

 threads of the capillitium being equally and densely covered 

 with short spine-like warts or very short bands. 



Arcyria fusca, Fries. 



Every part umber-brown, sometimes with .a tinge of olive; 

 sporangia stipitate, globose or very broadly elliptical ; basal por- 

 tion remaining as a calyculus; stem 3 4 times as long as 

 S2Jorangium, very thin, equal, filled with large cells that become 

 smaller upwards ; capillitium protruded elastically, attached to 

 base of sporangium, the threads passing down between the 

 cells of the upper portion of the stem, threads round, combined 

 to form a dense network, with a single row of warts or very short 

 plates arranged in a very open spiral ; spores globose, smooth, 

 7 9 fj. diameter. 



Arcyria fusca, Fries, Gast., p. 17. 



Arcyria punicea, Host., Mon., p. 268; Cke., Myx. Brit, p. 69 ; 

 Sacc., Syll., vii., 1, no. 1457 (all in part). 



Exsicc. Fuck el, Fung. Rhen., 1443. 



(Specimen from Fries in Herb. Berk.) 



On wood. Britain (Batheaston) ; Sweden ; Germany. 



Gregarious, 3 4 mm. high. Considered by Rostafinski as 

 synonymous with Arcyria punicea, from which it differs in the 

 ornamentation of the threads, consisting of spines or short 

 flattened plates not occupying more than diameter of thread, 

 long, thin stem, colour, &c. 



Arcyria versicolor, Phill. 



Sporangia elongato-pyriform or clavate, often attenuated 

 downwards into a short, thin, weak stem ; wall of sporangium 

 smooth, polished, varying from bright clear yellow to dark olive ; 

 dehiscing irregularly, basal portion persistent; springing gre- 

 gariously from a well-developed hypothallus ; mass of capillitium 

 and spores clear yellow to dusky olive ; capillitium attached 

 only to inner surface of stem-like base of sporangium ; forming 



