174 A Monograph of the Myxogastres. 



elaters are branched, the free ends varying from three to ten 

 in number. The only other genus with free elaters is Oligoncma, 

 but here the spirals are at most rudimentary and the tips 

 obtuse. 



Distrib. All temperate and tropical countries. Species 30. 



A. Spores smooth. 

 Trichia Carlyleana, Mass. (173 175). 



Sporangia clavate or cylindric-oblong, stipitate, dark brown, 

 often with a purple tinge, smooth ; stem usually about half as 

 long as sporangium, equal, or slightly thickened downwards 

 and expanded at the base into a small circular hypothallus; 

 inner surface of sporangi-al wall and hollmv of stem with numerous 

 rather large organic lumps, of a bright reddish-purple colour; 

 mass of spores bright yellow ; elaters fusiform, 5 6 /u at thickest 

 part, simple or frequently branched, tips running into a long, 

 smooth, very thin, straight or flexuous spine, spirals crowded, 

 thin, not prominent; spores globose, smooth, 10 12 /x diameter. 



Trichia Carlyleana, Mass., Mon. Trich., p. 5, f. 15. 



On wood. Britain (Carlisle). 



Sporangia in fascicles of 3 5 ; 2 3 mm. high. Superficially 

 resembling some forms of Trichia fragilis, but quite distinct 

 in the smooth spores, and the narrow, crowded, and not at 

 all prominent spirals of the elaters. The colouring matter in 

 the organic lumps on the wall of the sporangium and in the 

 stem is soluble in dilute potassic or ammonia hydrate. 



Trichia heterotrichia, Balf. 



Sporangia sessile in clusters, dark yellow, wall thick, tough 

 and leathery, inner layer areolate ; elaters few, cylindrical, 7 /u, 

 diameter (thickenings excluded), with walls of medium thick- 

 ness, irregularly and variously thickened, either with spines 

 often twice diameter of elaters, or with short prickles or warts, 

 or with complete or half-rings, or sometimes with interrupted 

 and irregular spirals leaving large intervening unthickened 

 portions, swollen towards the extremities, and ending in a 



