122 ENDOSPORE^. [COMATEICHA 



from Freiburg, in the Strassburg collection, is not well developed, as 

 shown by the abundance of immature spores ; but the oapillitium is 

 that of C. typhoides, and the spores have the charactei-istic scattered 

 warts. Stemonitis atra Mass., from New Zealand (K. 727), has spores 

 6 to 8 ;ii diam., and appears to be the usual form of C. typhoides. 

 S. Carlylei Mass. (Herb. Massee) is also C. typhoides, a. genuina, with 

 almost colourless spores 6 to 7 fi diam., marked with the scattered 

 warts. Stemonitis Virginiensis Rex, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. (1891), 

 p. 391 (L:B.M.91)i8 represented by a single extensive gathering in the 

 Alleghany Mountains, Virginia. The minute sporangia, 3'5 mm. in 

 total height, are clustered but not fasciculated ; the capillitium is an 

 intricate network of delicate threads with an indefinite superficial net 

 and numerous free ends ; the spores measure about 6 n diam., and 

 show a distinct reticulation when magnified 1,200 diam. The more 

 clearly reticulated spores appear to afford the only distinctive cha- 

 racter separating it from 0. typhoides var. heterospora ; a high magnifying 

 power shows the dark scattered warts before referred to. 



Hah. On dead wood. Common.— a. Leytonstone, Essex (L:B.M.91) ; 

 y. Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.91) ; France (Paris Herb.) ; a. Germany 

 (Strassb. Herb., B. M. 629) ; a. Poland (Strassb. Herb.) ; a. Italy 

 (B. M. 628) ; a. India (K. 1580) ; a. New Zealand (K. 727) ; u. and ^. 

 Philadelphia (L:B.M.91) ; Iowa (L:B.M.91); a. 8. Carolina (B. M. 

 633). 



6. C. PersooniiEost., Men., p. 201 (1875). Plasmodiiim watery- 

 white, among dead leaves. Total height 0'7 to 2 mm. Sporangia 

 ovoid or cylindrical, stipitate, scattered, lilac- or rufous-brown; 

 sporangium-wall evanescent. Stalk black, 0'2 mm. high or more, 

 rising from a circular, membranous hypothallus. Columella 

 reaching nearly to the apex of the sporangium. Oapillitium 

 a network of flexuose, anastomosing, brown threads springing 

 from all parts of the columella, looped at the surface, with few 

 free ends. Spores pale lilac-brown or flesh-colotired, minutely 

 warted, 6 to 8 /x diam. — Stemonitis pukhella Church. Bab., in Proc. 

 Linn. Soc, 1839, p. 32 ; Berk, in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 1, vi., 

 p. 431, PI. 12, f. 11; Mass., Men., p. 86. Comatricha pukhella 

 Host., Mon., App., p. 27; Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 49 ; Macbride in 

 Bull. Nat. Hist. Iowa, ii., p. 139. Stemonitis tenerrima Curt, 

 in SiU. Journ., vi., p. 352 ; Berk. & Curt., in Grev., ii., p. 69. 



a. genuina : sporangia shortly cylindrical, 0-7 to 1 mm. high, 

 on short stalks ; spores pale brown with a lilac tinge. 



p. tenerrima : sporangia narrowly ovoid, 0'4 to 0'7 mm. high, 

 on stalks of the same length, capillitium threads very delicate ; 

 spores flesh-coloured. Stemonitis tenerrima Curtis I.e. 



Plate XLVI., B. — d. sporangia, a. genuina, x 3J ; e. capillitium, x 180 ; 

 /. spore, ^ 600 ; g. sporangia, /S. tenerrima, x 3J ; h. capillitium, x 180 ; 

 i. spore, x 600 (England). 



The description of S. tenerrima Mass., Mon., p. 81, with spores black 

 in mass, 13 to 14 jx diam., can only be accounted for by some confusion 

 of specimens, as it agrees neither with Berkeley's type (K. 1588), nor 

 with his description in Grevillea. 



