Lamproderma. 101 



variously coloured metallic tints ; stem slender, attenuated up- 

 wards, longitudinally wrinkled below, purple-black ; columella 

 cylindrical, more or less attenuated at the apex, about half the 

 height of the sporangium ; capillitium 2mIc, 2')rimary hranclies 

 sh(n't, hut distinct, thick, soon branching and dichotomosing in 

 an irregular manner, combined by transverse branches to form 

 an irregular network with numerous free, thin tips; spores 

 globose, pale violet, minutely wartcd, 12 — 16 \x diameter. 



Lamproderma columhinum, Rost., Mon,, p. 203, f. 61 ; Cke., 

 Myx. Brit., f. 61 ; Sacc, Syll, n. 1345. 



Laviprodcrma iridcsccns, Rost., Mon., App., p. 25 ; Sacc, Syll., 

 n. 1346. 



Physarum iridcsccns, Berk., Hook. Journ., 1851, p. 20. 



Exsiec.—Roh., Fung. Eur., 2213; Roum., Fung. Gall. Exs., 

 n. 1685. 



On moss, wood, &c. Britain (Orton Wood, Leicester; Rudloe, 

 Twycross, Carlisle) ; Europe ; United States. 



From 2 — 3 mm. high, sometimes sessile and even aethalioid ; 

 distinguished by the very short, stout, primary branches of the 

 capillitium, the smaller branches are sometimes nodulose at 

 intervals. 



(Rostafinski's Synonyms.) 



3Iucor violaceus, Leess., Fl. Herb., n. 1128 (1775). 



Trichia violacea, Hoffm., Veg. Cr., p. 5, t. 2. f. 1 (1790). 



Physarum columhinum, Pers., Syst., p. 173 (1801). 



Trichia columhina, Poir., Encycl, no. 17 (1808). 



Physarum salicinum, Schum., Fl. Saell., n. 1431 (1803). 



Physarum hryoj^hilum, Fr., S. M., iii., p. 135 (1829). 



Pliysarum hryophilu7n, (3 melanocephcduvi, Cda., Ic. 1, p. 22, 

 t. 4, f. 287 (1837). 



Lamproderma Saccardianum, Mass. 

 Broadly gregarious, altogether blackish, sporangia perfectly 

 spherical, not umbilicate, \ mm. broad, at first yellowish then 

 opaqnc black, smooth, persistent, erect ; stem filiform, ^ mm. 

 high, 40 ju, thick, black; hypothallus (when evident) distinct, 

 minute, rufescent ; columella terete, half the hcis^ht of the 



