A Revision of the Triehiacew. Bij G. 3Iassee. 347 



In tlie diagnosis, Peck states that the elaters are " not septate," 

 which prohahly means that the walls have no ring-like thickenings. 

 The description is too imperfect to indicate its affinities and possibly 

 also to insure its future identification. 



B. Spores with raised hands combined into a network. 



Oligonema nitens, Kost., fig. 29. 



Sporangia densely crowded, often several layers superposed, sessile 

 on a broad or slightly contracted base, clear primrose-yelhiv, very 

 smooth and shining ; mass of capillitium and spores yellow ; elaters 

 scanty, variable, 4-5 fi, thick, simple or branched, perfectly smooth, 

 or with scattered narrow rings, sometimes ivith an indistinct, very open 

 spiral on the tvhole or portion only of an elater, tips usually abrupt, 

 rarely ending in a short apiculus ; spores globose, with narrow raised 

 ridges of varying thickness, forming an irregular network, 11-13 /ju 



Eost., Mon., p. 291 ; Schroet., p. 108 ; Sacc, Syll., n. 1488 (the 

 colour of the sporangium described as " gilvo " by mistake). 



Exsicc. — Lib., PL Crypt. Ard., fasc. iii. n. 227 ! (as Trichia 

 nitens) ; Klotzsch, Herb. Myc. (Eabenh.) 137 ! (as Tr. circumscissa) ; 

 Fuckel, Fung. Ehen., 2198 ! (as Tr. nitens). 



On wood, bark, &c. France ! Bavaria ! Germany ! 



Sporangia • 5-1 mm. diameter, clear yellow, polished and shining. 

 The elaters are very variable, in some sporangia simple and without a 

 trace of spiral or ring-like thickening, in others the simple smooth 

 elaters are mixed with others that are branched and ornamented as 

 described above. 



Var. havarica, fig. 25, elaters short, tips more or less acute, 

 generally with a more or less distinct diffuse spiral, 5-7 [x thick. 



Oligonema havarica, Balf. and Berl., Sacc, Syll., n. 1490. 



Exsicc— Thum., Myc. Univ., n. 399 and 1497 ! 



On wood. Bavaria ! 



Professor Bayley Balfour in some notes on British Myxomy- 

 cetes, 'Grevillea,' x. p. 119, writes as follows respecting the above 

 variety: — " Trichia havarica, Thum., Myc. Univers., No. 1497, is no 

 Trichia. It is an Oligonema. Typical Oligonema nitens has few 

 elaters without any pattern on the walls. In the De Thumen's 

 specimens I find that the walls have a tendency to become spirally 

 thickened, and the elaters sometimes are slightly pointed, and it, 

 therefore, shows an approach to Trichia. But still the elaters are very 

 few, and the whole plant is essentially an Oligonema, but I am not 

 convinced as to its being Olig. nitens. De Thumen has sent out the 

 same plant as Trichia chrysosperma, D.C., under No. 399, Mycoth, 

 Univ." 



Dr. Berlese, on the strength of the above statement, established 

 the species 0. havarica, iw Saccardo's Sylloge, as quoted above. In 

 the Kew copy of Madame Libert's Exs,, examined by Professor 



