COMATRICHA 183 



mella at first divided into a few main branches, from which by re- 

 peated subdivision the delicate, anastomosing, flexuose capillitial 

 threads take origin; spores pale brownish-violaceous, spinulescent, 

 8-10 M- 



South Carolina. Colorado : — Dr. Sturgis. 



12. CoMATRiCHA RUBENS Lister. 

 1894. Comatricha ruhcns List., Mycet., p. 123. 



Sporangia gregarious, globoid or ellipsoidal, 1-1.5 mm., pink- 

 brown, stipitate ; peridium persistent below ; stipe .5-1 mm., black, 

 shining; columella to more than half the sporangium, giving off on 

 all sides the brownish-violaceous, flexuose threads of the capillitium, 

 somewhat thickened and broadly attached to the persisting peridial 

 cup; spores lilac-brown, spinulescent, 7-8 fi. 



Another border species, looking to the lamprodermas. Philadelphia, 

 by courtesy Mr. Bilgram. 



13. Comatricha pulchella (Bab.) Rost. 



Plate XIII., Fig. 4, and Plate XII., Figs. 16 and 16 a. 



1837. Stemonitis pulchella Bab., Trans. Lin. Soc, p. 32. 



1841. Comatricha pulchella Bab., Berk., Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., I. vi., p. 



431, PI. XXL, 11. a. b. 



1848. Stemonitis tenerrima Curtis, Am. Jour., VI., p. 352. 



1873. Stemonitis tenerrima Berk. & C, Grev., II., p. 69. 



1876. Comatricha pulchella (Bab.) Rost., Mon. App., p. 27. 



1875. Comatricha persoonii Rost., Man., p. 201. 



1894. Comatricha persoonii Rest., List., Mycet., p. 122. 



1899. Comatricha pulchella (Bab.) Rost., Macbr., A^. A. S., p. 129. 



1899. Comatricha persoonii Rost., Macbr., A'^. A. S., p. 132, excl. syn. 



1911. Comatricha pulchella Rost., List., Mycet., 2nd ed., p. 156. 



1911. Comatricha pulchella var. gracilis Wing., List., Mycet., 2nd ed., 

 p. 156. 



Sporangia very minute, 1 mm. high, scattered, ovate or ovate- 

 cylindric acuminate, pale brown or ferruginous, stipitate; stipe short, 

 black, nearly even; hypothallus none, or merely a circular base to 

 the tiny stem; columella straight, gradually tapering, reaching almost 

 if not quite to the apex of the sporangium; capillitium dense, a net- 

 work of flexuous brown threads, rather broad within, ending in slen- 



