274 THE NORTH AMERICAN SLIME-MOULDS 



narrow, 3-4 /n, wound with spirals three or four, more or less irregu- 

 lar, smooth, longitudinal ridges wanting, the apices rather long, acu- 

 minate, about twice the diameter of the elater, or anon clavate or even 

 globose, bulbose at the tip and furnished with several stout spines; 

 spore-mass concolorous ; under the lens spores colorless, marked by 

 a very feebly developed reticulation of T. persimilis type, but the 

 bands narrow and, as shown by the narrow "border," low, meshes 

 few and often imperfect, globose or sub-globose, about 12 /x. 



The episporic characters of this species ally it to T. persimilis most 

 nearly. The reticulations are possibly not more divergent from the 

 typical form of that species than are the same features in some other 

 forms there included. But in the present case, added to the episporic 

 sculpture, we must reckon the peculiar capillitial thread, unlike 

 that seen in either of the chrysospermatous forms, and the gregarious 

 habit without hypothallus. These peculiarities seemed to Dr. Rex 

 distinctive, and as they appear constant they may be left to separate 

 the species. 



10. Trichia botrytis Persoon. 



Plate XIII., Figs. 8, 8 a. 



1791. Stemonitis botrytis Pers., Gmel., Syst. Nat., II., 1468. 



1794. Trichia botrytis Pers., Rom. N. Mag. Bat., I., p. 89. 



1803. Sphaerocarpus fragilis Sowerby, Eng. Fung., I., p. 279. 



1829. Trichia pyriformis Fries, Syst. Myc, III., p. 184. 



1875. Trichia fragilis (Sow.) Rost, Mon., p. 246. 



Sporangia gregarious, scattered, sometimes combined in clusters, 

 pyriform or turbinate, stipitate, red-purple or, ochraceous-brown 

 the peridium breaking up irregularly, the dehiscence sometimes pre- 

 figured by pale reticulations on the surface; stipe solid, single, or 

 united in clusters of five cr more together, dark-colored, red or purple- 

 brown, opaque; capillitium orange, ochraceous yellow, or even red- 

 dish brown, the threads simple or rarely branched, long-fusiform, 

 about 4 ju, thick at the centre, tapering gradually to the long accumin- 

 ate, apiculate tips, spirals three or four, even, smooth, rather closely 

 wound and traceable almost to the apex ; spores concolorous in mass, 

 under the lens pale, globose, more or less closely minutely warted 

 but not reticulate, 10-12 /x. 



