PInisarnm. 285 



a purple tinge; stem elongated, slender, attenuated upwards, 

 straight or slightly bent above, cojijKr-colour, longitudinally 

 wrinkled, filled with masses of lime and organic matter, usually 

 expanding at the base into a small, circular liypothallus ; colu- 

 mella absent ; threads of capillitium numerous, thin, combined 

 to form an irregular, dense net, swollen cllip)tical portions con- 

 taining yellowisJi granules of lime, numerous, small, either formed 

 at the angles of hifureation or interstitial ; spores globose, pale 

 lilac, minutely warted, 9 — 12 jw diameter. 



Physarum cupripcs, B. and R., Grev., vol. ii., p. 65. 

 (Type in Herb. Berk., Kew, n. 10,779.) 



Physarum Berlcclcyi, Rost., Mon., p. 105 (in part). 



Physarum jiavicomum, Sacc, Syll, vii,, 1, n. 1193 (in part). 



Exsicc. — Rav., Fung. Car., n. 76 (under the name of Physarum 

 cupriceps, B.). 



Berkeley's type specimen is a portion of the same gathering 

 issued in Ravenel's Exs., quoted above, and possibly Berkeley 

 in sending Ravenel the name, wrote cupriceps instead of 

 cupo'ipes ; however this may be, it is certain that the two names 

 refer to the same species. The present species has been hope- 

 lessly confused with others by Rostafinski. 



The following note accompanied Ravenel's specimen to 

 Berkeley. 



" At first a yellowish-green mucus, spreading on the surface 

 12 — 18 in. square, interlaced with veins. On these veins small 

 clavate pedicels arise of the same colour, the heads becoming 

 thicker and assuming finally the subspherical form, changing 

 to lilac-blue." 



On dead wood. United States. 



Gregarious, 2 — 2-5 mm. high. 



Physarum nefroideum, Rost. 



Sporangia longitudinally comp)rcssed, circular in outline, hut 

 owing to the umUlkus at the base, reniform, minutely cinereo- 

 furfuraceous, scarcely 1 mm. broad; stem § — 1 mm. long, 

 cylindrical, slightly striate, hro/nt ; columella almost obsolete; 



