84 A Mo7ioffraph of the Myxogastres. 



Stcmonitis didi/osjwra, Rost., Mon., p. 195 ; Sacc, Syll., vii., 1, 

 1803. 



On palm leaves. Venezuela ; Amazon Valley ; United States. 



The type specimen on wliich Rostafinski founded the species 

 is in the Berkeley herbarium, Kew, and had evidently been 

 considered as distinct as the MS. name of " S. trechispora, B. 

 and C," is on the paper in Berkeley's writing. It seems a pity 

 that Rostafinski could not accept this name. Distinguished at 

 once by the silvery white sporangial wall, very small peripheral 

 meshes of the capillitium, and reticulated spores. 



B. Spores brown or ferruginous in the mass. 



§ Sjwrcs smooth. 



Stemonitis Carlylei, Mass. (n. sp.) (figs. 158, 159). 



Growing in small scattered tufts, sporangia cylindrical, apex 

 obtuse, wall very thin, evanescent except the apical portion, 

 which remains like a cap, dark, with purple or dark blue tints ; 

 stem short, dark, expanding into a tough, brown, common hypo- 

 thallus ; mass of spores dull oraoigc-browii ; columella attenu- 

 ated upwards, disappearing just below the apex ; capillitium 

 dense, originating in numerous stout branches from the colu-' 

 mella, which soon break up into thinner branches that anasto- 

 mose to form a dense, irregular net, threads arcuate, peripheral 

 meshes large, at least tivice the diameter of the spores, and bearing 

 numerous free tips which are at first attached to the wall, brown, 

 becoming paler towards the periphery; spores globose, pale, 

 clear orange-brown, smooth, 11 — 15 fx diameter. 



On wood. Carlisle. 



Growing in small scattered tufts of from 8 — 14 plants, 

 3"5 — 4 mm. high, the sporangia are cylindrical with abruptly 

 rounded ends, or rarely slightly attenuated below, and passing 

 into the stem, which is not usually a quarter the length of the 

 sporangium. At once distinguished from Stemonitis ferruginca, 

 the remaining bright-spored species by the large peripheral 

 meshes of the capillitium, with numerous free tips, and the 



