330 Transactions of the Soc'utij. 



the few elaters with the very varying sculpturing and the larger 

 smooth spores sufficiently s-eparate them." 



A very distinct species, characterized by the very irregular 

 ornamentation of the elaters and the large smooth spores. The type 

 specimen is in the Currey collection, now in the Kew Herbarium, and 

 although no locality is given, the species is in all probability 

 British. 



B. Spores with rounded warts. 



* Maiers fusiform. 



Trichia fragilis, Eost,, figs. 14 and 28. 



Sporangia pyriform or subglobose, stipitate, either solitary or 

 fasciculate on a common stem, colour variable, most frequently blackish 

 brown, sometimes paler brown or yellowish, stem dark, wrinkled, 

 equal or attenuated upwards, erect or drooping ; mass of capillitium 

 and spores separated from the hollow stem hy a membrane, varying 

 from dull orange to clear yellow: elaters fusiform, 4-5 /a at the 

 thickest part, sp'rals flat, rather broad, not very 'prominent, tips 

 smooth, tapering to a thin point ; spores globose, minutely ivarted, 

 11-14 /x diameter. 



a. genuina. Sporangia pyriform, solitary or fasciculate, clear or 

 blackish-brown, opaque ; mass of capillitium and spores varying from 

 reddish-brown to dirty ochre ; stem erect. 



/3. Lorinseriana. Sporangium pyriform, solitary or fasciculate, 

 reddish-brown, polished; mass of capillitium and spores dirty 

 ochraceous ; stem generally drooping. 



y. serotina. Sporangia clavate or pyriform, solitary or fasciculate ; 

 mass of capillitium and spores clear yellow or ochraceous; stem 

 erect. 



8. lateritia. Sporangia subglobose, solitary or fasciculate, almost 

 black ; mass of capillitium and spores dark brownish-orange ; stem 

 erect, attenuated upwards. 



Trichia fragilis, Eost., Mon., p. 246, figs. 203, 204, 225, 226 (in 

 part); Cooke, Brit. Myx., p. 63, figs. 203, 204, 225, 226 (in part) ; 

 Sacc, Syll., n. 1494 (in part); Balf., Grev., v. 10, p. 116 (in part). 



Trichia lateritia. Lev., Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. iii. vol. v. p. 167 (in 

 part). 



Trichia botrytis, Sehroeter, p. 112 (in part) ; Raunk., Myx. Dan., 

 p. 67 (in part). 



Sphserocarpus fragilis, Sow., t. 279. 



Exsicc. — Cooke, Fung. Brit, 612 ! (as Trichia Neesiana) ! Eab., 

 Fung. Eur., 244 (as Trichia pyriformis, Batsch) ! Jack, Leiner u. 

 Sitzenb. Krypt. Badens, 329 ! (as Trichia pyriformis, Hoffm.) ; 

 Erbar. Crittogam. Ital, 640 ! (as Trichia fallax, b. Pers.) ; Ellis and 

 Everhart, N. Amer. Fung., ser. iii. n. 2097 and 2098 ! Fuckel, Fung. 

 Ehen. 1437 ! (as Trichia pyriformis, Hofim.). 



On wood, twigs, &c. Britain (Brighton ! Kew ! Gloucester ! 



