90 ENDOSPOREiE. [dIACH^A. 



Eost., Mon., App., p. 15. Didymiwm Zeylanicum Berk, k Br., 

 in Linn. Journ., xiv., p. 84 ; Mass., Mon.', p. 240. Ghondrioderma 

 Zeylanioum Eost., Mon., App., p. 15. Ghond/rioderma Berheley- 

 anum Rest., Men., App., p. 16 ; Mass., Mon., p. 214. Trichamn 

 phora FuokeUana E,ost., in Fuckel, Symb. Myc, Nachtr. 2, p. 71 ; 

 Mon., p. 138. Badhamia FuckeUama Rost., Mon., App., p. 2 ; 

 Mass., Men., p. 321. Didymium australis Mass., Men., p. 237. 



Plate XXXT., B. — a. sporangia, x 20 ; J. capillitium, with fragment of 

 sporangium-wall and spores, x 280 ; o. spore, x 600 (Australia). 



The fine specimen from Sumatra in the Leyden Herb., covering an 

 area of six inches on a frond of Selaghiella stipulata, a part of which, 

 through the kindness of Dr. Boerlage, is in this collection (L:B.M.67), 

 may be taken as a type of this interesting species. Prom the unique 

 characters of the sporangium and capillitium, it deserves to retain the 

 generic position assigned to it by Junghuhn in describing the original 

 Java specimen. Examination of the scanty remains of that gathering 

 at Strassburg and at Leyden, and. of the types of Physarum Muelleri 

 Berk, from Queensland and Ceylon (K. 1433 and 1432), also of 

 Didymium Zeylanicum Berk. & Br. from Ceylon (B. M. 576), and of 

 Didymium australis Mass. from Brisbane (K. 1491), shows that they 

 all possess the characters given above, and are consequently included 

 under T. pezizoidea. The specimen marked Physarum macrocarpum 

 Ces., No. 1458, Fuckel F. Rhei. (B. M. 403), is a part of Eostafinski's 

 type of Badhamia Fu6keliana Eost., of which a fine example is in 

 Strassb. Herb. ; it is essentially identical with the Sumatra gathering of 

 T. pezizoidea. The type of Ghondrioderma Berkeleyqnu/m Eost. from 

 Tahiti in the Kew collection (K. 1207a), marked in pencil by Berkeley 

 Trichamphara pezizoidea Jungh.., differs from Fuckers gathering only 

 in the darker and more strongly spinose spores ; the number of spines 

 on the hemisphere is the same in each ; in the Sumatra specimen the 

 spores are intermediate in colour and in the strength of the spines, 

 while in the Brisbane specimen the spores are nearly smooth. This 

 varying character is not sufficient to raise the Tahiti gathering to the 

 rank of a distinct species. A fine growth from Borneo has dark 

 spinose spores 15 jti diam. 



Hab. On dead wood, leaves, etc. — Germany (B. M. 403) ; Natal 

 (K. 376) ; Ceylon (B. M. 576) ; Java (Strassb. Herb.) ; Sumatra 

 (L:B.M.67) ; Borneo (L:B.M.67) ; Queensland (L:B.M.67) ; Tahiti 

 (K. 1207). 



Genus 11.— DIACHiEA Fries, Syst. Orb. Veg., 1., p. 143 

 (1825). Sporangium-wall hyaline, iridescent, without deposits 

 of lime. Stalk and columella charged with granules of lime. 

 OapUlitium a profuse network of purplish threads, without lime- 

 knots. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF DIACH^A. 



Lime in stalk and columella white. 



Spores nearly smooth. ■ 1.2). elegans 



Spores tuberculated. 2. i). splendens 



Lime in stalk and columella orange. 3. D. Thomasii 



