114 ENDOSPORE^. [STEMONITIS. 



a large series of specimens of this group there is a general character 

 which runs through them all in the constant type of the spores and 

 in the smooth purple-brown capillitium, which points to the conclusion 

 that however widely the size of the mesh of the snrface-net may vary, 

 they are all forms of one species. 



Hob. On dead wood.— y. Lyme Eegis, Dorset (L:B.M.83) ; 8. Meu- 

 don, France (Paris Herb.) ; a. Germany (B. M. 619) ; y. Black Forest 

 (L:B.M.83) ; a. Italy (B. M. 999) ; u. Natal (K. 694) ; a. Australia 

 (K 716) ; a. New Zealand (K. 688) ; a. Isle of Pines, New Caled6nia 

 (B. M. 1093) ; a. Samoa (L:B.M.83) ; a. Iowa (B. M. 820) ; 8. New 

 Jersey (L:B.M.83) ; /3. and y. Ohio (L:B.M.83) ; a. S. Carolina 

 (B M. 918) ; a. Darien (B. M. 916) ; a. Cuba (B. M. 630) ; a. French 

 Guiana (Paris Herb.) ; a. BrazU (B. M. 1089). 



3. S. herbatica Peck, in Eep. N. York Mus., xxvi.,p. 75 (1874). 

 Plasmodium? Sporangia cylindrical, in densely fasciculated 

 clusters, 5 to 7 mm. high, red-brown. Stalk 0'8 mm. high, 

 arising from a membranous hypothallus. Capillitium of dark 

 brown threads, springing from the columella and forming a very 

 loose network, uniting at the surface into a net with rounded 

 meshes, 7 to 17 ^u, diam. Spores pale reddish-purple, minutely 

 spinulose, 6 to 9 /t diam. — Mass., Mon., p. 87. 



Plate XLIII., B. — a. sporangia on leaf, x 2 (Java, leg. ZolIingeT) 

 J. capillitium of same, x 170 ; c. sporangia, Peck's type, x 2 (U.S.A.) 

 d. capillitium of same, x 170; e. sporangia on leaf, natural size (Ran 

 goon) ; /. sporangia, x 2 ; ^. capillitium of same, x 170 ; li. spore, x 600. 



The above description is made from Peck's type, kindly furnished 

 by Dr. Rex. The species is allied to S. ferruginea and to S. splendens, 

 having the capillitium, and the habit of fruiting on herbaceous stems, 

 of the former, and the purplish spores of the latter. If holds an 

 intermediate position, difEerent gatherings showing a tendency towards 

 one or the other of its allies ; but it is a useful centre under which to 

 place forma possessing a distinct general character which were difficult 

 to locate before Peck gave them a specific rank. It does not appear 

 in the collections as a British species, and European gatherings are not 

 frequent. The specimen figured from Java was given by Rostafinski 

 as a type of S. fusca, from which it is distinguished by the nearly 

 smooth spores and wandering habit of the plasmodium. Peck's type is 

 nearly identical with the Java specimen (see PI. XLIII., B., c and d.). 



Hah. On leaves, etc. — France (K. 706) ; Germany (Strassb. Herb, as 

 Stemonitis fusca var. minor leiosperma de Bary) ; Switzerland (K. 1606) ; 

 Pondicherry, India (B. M. 84) ; Ceylon (K. 1624) ; Rangoon (K. 1612) ; 

 Java (B. M. 1091) ; Borneo (L:B.M.84) ; Austraha (K. 711) ; New 

 York-(L:B.M.84) ; Carolina (K. 1581) ; S. Domingo (B. M. 640). 



4. S. ferruginea Ehrenb., -Sylv. Myc. BeroL, p. 25 (1818). 

 Plasmodium citron-yellow, in rotten wood, usually creeping from 

 the place of emergence, and maturing on surrounding herbage. 

 Total height 5 to 7 mm. Sporangia cylindrical, obtuse, in 

 closely fasciculate clusters, stipitate or nearly sessile, cinnamon- 

 brown. Stalk black, 0'5 to 1-5 mm. high. Columella often 

 reaching the apex of the sporangium and expanding as a funnel- 

 shaped membranous cap, or ceasing far belo-w the sixmmit. 



