COMATRICHA,] 
STEMONITACE/E. 
119 
slightly curved, branching towards the surface to form a loose 
network of slender threads, either looped or with numerous 
straight free ends. Spores as in C. ohtusata. Stemonitis laxa 
Mass., Mon., p. 79. Badhamia penetrcdis Cooke & Ellis, in 
Grev., v., p. 49. Comatricha Ellisiana Ellis & Everhart, N. Am. 
Eung., 2nd series, 2696. Comatricha Sommerfeltii Blytt, Bidr. K. 
Norg., Sop. iii. (1892), p. 8. 
Plate XL IV., B. — g. sporangia of various forms on wood and bramble, x 
'd\ ; h. sporangia with spores dispersed, showing capillitium, x 20 ; t. apex 
of columella, aod capillitium threads, x 180 ; k. spore, x 600 (England). 
Intermediate forms connect this species with C. ohtusata, of which 
it is hardly more than a marked variety. The type in the Strassburg 
collection is well rendered by the photographic figure in Rostafinski's 
Monograph ; it is a globose form with coarse and lax capillitium. A 
similar form is found at Lyme Regis, together with growths having 
more elongated sporangia ; among these there occur forms which 
are identical with C. Ellisiana Ellis & Everh. (K. 1590), and with 
specimens furnished by Dr. Rex under the same name (L:B.M.88). 
C. Sommerfeltii Blytt has the lax capillitium of Rostafinski's type of 
C. laxa, with larger spores, 11 to 14 /n diam. ; the size of the spores, 
which in other respects are those of C. laxa, can scarcely support a 
separate specific rank being given to this gathering. I am indebted 
to Prof. Blytt for kindly submitting the type of C. Sommerfeltii for 
examination. 
Hob. On dead wood, twigs, etc. — Leytonstone, Essex (L:M.B.88) ; 
Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.88) ; Germany (Strassb. Herb.) ; Norway 
(L:B.M.88) ; Philadelphia (L:B.M.88) ; S. Carolina (B. M. 922). 
3. C. lurida Lister, sp. nov. Plasmodium 1 Total height 
1-25 mm. Spoi'angia globose or subovoid, erect, 0*5 mm. diam. 
stipitate, scattered, purpHsh-brown ; sporangium-wall evanescent. 
Stalk setaceous, black, shining, 0-75 mm. long, rising from a 
circular brown hypothallus. Columella cylindrical, reaching to 
half the height of the sporangium, dividing into stout branches 
at the apex, and continued into the capillitium. Capillitium 
dark purplish-brown thi-oughout, spreading from the upper part 
of the columella in flexuose anastomosing threads, with slender, 
brown, free ends. Spores spherical or subovoid, purplish-grey,' 
coarsely warted, 8 to 10 /x diam. ' 
Plate XLV., B.— «. sporangia, x 3^ ; 5. columella and capillitium, with 
a fragment of sporangium-wall, to which spores adhere, x 180 ; c. spore x 
600 (England). ^ ' 
This species has occurred at Lyme Regis during several years with 
constant characters ; it has the habit of Lamproderma irideum 'from 
which it IS distinguished by the more branching columella, the uniform 
colour of the flexuose capillitium, and also in the larger and more 
strongly warted spores. It resembles some forms of C. ohtusata 
dittermg essentially in the spores and habitat. ' 
Hah. On dead leaves.— Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.89). 
4. C. longaPeck, inRep. N. York Mus., xliii., p. 24 (1890). 
Plasmodium? Total height 4 mm. to 4 cm. Sporangium 
