Trie hid. 177 



SphaerocarjMS fragilis, Sow., t. 279 (1803). 



TricMa notata, Fl. Dan., 1680 (1823). 



Trichia hadia, Fr. Stirp. Femsj., 83 (1825). 



TricJiia pyriformis, Fr., S. M., iii., 184 (1829) ; Curr., Micr. 



Journ., v., p. 129; Cke., Hdbk., n. 1178. 

 Tridda Zorinseriana, Corda, Ic, f. 228 D (1837) ; Curr., 



Micr. Journ., v., p. 129 ; Cke., Hdbk., n. 1180. 

 Trichia pyo'iformis, (3. scrotina, Rost., in Fckl. Synib., 2 N., 



75 (1873). 

 Craterium floriformc, Schu., Ann., No. 2307. 

 Al'wisia homharda, B. and Br., Ceylon Fung., No. 784, t. 2, 



f. 6 (1873). 



Trichia purpurascens, Nyl. (figs. 183, 184). 



Sporangia stipitate, ovate or spherieo-ovate, solitary or gre- 

 garious, jmrjjlish-rcd, opaque; stem longitudinally wrinkled, 

 erect or cernuous, rather firm and thickish, expanding at the 

 base into a small hypothallus, coloured like the sporangium, 

 which it equals or exceeds in length ; mass of elaters and spores 

 bright ochraceous ; elaters rather short, fusiform, attamatcd into 

 long, tapering, smooth, straight or fiexuoiis tips, simple or branched, 

 about 5 fl thick at the centre, spirals sharp-edged, rather ^jro- 

 minent and distant ; spores globose, verruculose, yellow, 9 — 11 ft 

 diameter. 



Trichia purpurascens, Nyl., in Siillsk. pro Faun, et Flor. 

 Fenn. notis. Ny., Ser. 11., 2, p. 12G ; Mass., Rev. Trich., p. 332; 

 Sacc, Syll., no. 1508; Grev., v., 18, p. 27 (1889); Karst., Myx. 

 Fenn., iv., p. 137. 



On fir-wood, moss, &c. Britain (Carlisle) ; Finland. 



Requires to be carefully distinguished from some forms of 

 Trichia fragilis, to which species the present is closely allied. 

 In T. purpurascens the spirals are sharp-edged, in T. fragilis 

 flattened. The inner surface of the sporangial wall is studded 

 with amorphous, organic purple particles ; the colouring matter 

 is soluble in potassic or ammonic hydrate. 



