Craterium. . 263 



apical lid, or by an irregularly circumscissile separation of the 

 undifferentiated apical portion of the sporangium, basal portion 

 of sporangium persistent after dehiscence ; capillitium of stout 

 threads attached at numerous points to the sporangial wall, 

 combined to form an irregular, rigid network, containing a large 

 quantity of lime which is usually localized in swollen, irregular, 

 often more or less flattened portions ; these towards the base 

 of the sporangium are compacted to form an irregular columella. 



Craterium, Trent., Obs. Bot. ; Host., Mon., p. 118; Cke., Myx. 

 Brit., p. 18 ; Zopf, p. 146 ; Sacc., Syll., vii., 1, p. 355. 



The species of Craterium are more or less gregarious in habit, 

 but rarely crowded, although now and again specimens occur 

 with the sporangia more or less confluent, the stems remaining 

 distinct. The sporangia persist for a long time after dehiscence, 

 owing to the rigidity qf the wall and capillitium, and in this 

 stage resemble in shape miniature wine-glasses. Craterium is 

 closely allied to JBadhamia, differing more especially in the 

 double wall and the presence of a columella, and the circum- 

 scissile dehiscence. 



Distrib. Europe; Algeria; Natal; Ceylon; Tasmania; Brazil; 

 United States. Species 13. 



A. Dehiscence ~by the separation of a distinct lid at apex of 

 sporangium. 



Craterium confusum, Mass. (fig. 289). 



Sporangia variable in form, cyathiform, infundibuliform, or 

 pyriform, stipitate or rarely subsessile, varying in colour from 

 bright brown, through ochraceous to nearly white, lid sharply 

 differentiated from wall of sporangium, flat or slightly convex, 

 usually chalky-white, rarely ochraceous, deciduous ; stem variable 

 in length and depth of colour ; capillitium abundant, knots of 

 lime large, irregular, white or yellowish, usually by aggregation 

 forming a more or less distinct columella ; spores globose, dirty 

 violet, very minutely verruculose, 8 11 /x diameter. 



Craterium vulgare, Host., Mon., p. 118, figs. 94, 96; Cke., 

 Brit. Myx., p. 18, figs. 94, 96. 



