Didipniinn. 227 



colniiiclla small, sj^heriml, 2>(d<' ochrcremis, internally traversed 

 by irregular strands giving it a cellular appearance, cavities 

 containing crystals of lime ; capillitium radiating from the 

 columella to the wall of the sporangium, threads about equal, 

 2 — 3 jj. thick, repeatedly forked and joining laterally, sometimes 

 flexuous and rough in parts with minute granules of lime, 

 varying from colourless, through pale brown to dirty violet; 

 spores globose, very minutely verruculose, brownish-purple, 5 — 7 fx 

 diameter. 



a. nif/ripes. Stem blackish. 



/3. rnfi2')cs. Stem rufous or yellowish. 



Didymium microcarpon, Rest., Mon., p. 157, f. 138, 177 ; Cooke, 

 Myx. Brit., p. 82, f. 133, 177; Sacc, Syll, 1310 ; Eaunk., p. 87. 



Exsicc. — Ellis, N. Amer. Fung., 1893 (as Didymium micro- 

 mrpmi, Fr.), var. nigri'pcs ; Ellis, N. Amer. Fung., 412 (as 

 Didymium xanthoinLs). 



On twigs, leaves, living mosses, &c. 



Plants 2-5 — 3 mm. high, lumps of lime on the sporangium 

 in the form of stellate crystals; umbilicus at base of spor- 

 angium sometimes very slight; columella small but rather 

 prominent; the capillitium varies considerably, sometimes 

 copious, anastomosing, various, inclined to be rough here and 

 there with minute granules of lime, or even nodulose ; at other 

 times scanty, colourless, and threads very thin. So far as I 

 have had an opportunity of ascertaining, the pale-stemmed 

 form is confined to living mosses. 



Britain (Kew, King's Cliffe, Carlisle, Shere, Forden, Edin- 

 boro', Glamis, N. B.) ; Sweden ; Denmark ; France ; United 

 States; Ceylon. 



(Rostatinski's Synonyms.) 



Lyca'pcrdon stiintatuin, Retz,, Vet. de Handl. (1769). 

 Triehia hemispheric a, Trent., p. 228 (1797). 

 Physarum nigripcs, Lk,, Diss., 1, 27 (1809) ; Ditm., t. 42. 

 TricJiia alba, Purt., Midi. Fl., iii., 1113 (1817). 

 Cioniicm xantho]ms, Ditm., t. 43 (1817); Nees, f. 106. 

 Physaruvi 7nicrocarpon, Fr., Gast., p. 23 (1818). 



