Craterium. 267 



On mosses, decaying lichens, &c. Britain (Lyndhurst, Haw- 

 thornden, Edinboro') ; Sweden ; Germany. 



From 1"5 — 2 mm. liigli, sporangia and stem varying from 

 orange to deep blood-red, stem elongated, slender. 



B. A'pcx of siwrangium not differentiated into a distinct lid. 

 Craterium leucocephalum, Rost. (figs. 298 — 301). 



Sporangia stipitate, conico-cylindrical, pyriform or subglobose, 

 apex rounded and eventually Ireaking away in a circumscissile 

 manner, upper portion of sporangium whitish and rough loith 

 minute, inmate particles of lime which eventually fall away, 

 leaving minute pits in the wall, basal portion of sporangium 

 dark reddish-brown, much wrinUed ; capillitiura dense, knots 

 large, irregular, numerous, usually aggregated in the centre to 

 form a columella, granules of lime colourless, yellow or brownish ; 

 spores globose, dull violet or brownish, mimUely ivartcd, the 

 wart often with a tendency to form anastomosing lines, 8 — 11 i^ 

 diameter. 



Craterium leueocei^halum, Eost., Mon., p. 123, f. 98, 100; 

 Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 19, f. 98, 100 ; Raunk., Myx. Dan., p. 80, 

 t. 4, f. 12; Sacc, Syll., 1238. 



Exsicc.—'^ydi., Myc. March., 1500; Fuckel, Fung. Rhen., 

 1452; Roum., Fung. Gall, 1679; Rab.-Winter, Fung. Eur., 

 2G74. 



On leaves, twigs, bark, &c. Britain (Jedburgh, Chiselhurst, 

 Epping, Gloucester, Wanstead Park, Scarboro', Carlisle, Appin, 

 N. B.) ; Germany ; France ; Italy ; Denmark ; United States ; 

 Brazil. 



PJasraodium yellow. Gregarious or scattered, 1'5 — 2 mm. 

 high, variable in form and length of stem, the upper convex 

 portion of the sporangium breaks away in a circumscissile 

 manner, there is not a differentiated lid as in C. vulgarc. The 

 present species is best characterized by the pale upper portion 

 of the sporangium being incrusted with minute particles of 

 white or yellowish lime, and also by the presence of numerous 

 circular discs sunk in the substance of the wall; these discs vary 



