204 
ENDOSPOREiE. 
[dianema. 
Genus 41.— DIANEMA Rex, in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil., 
p. 397 (1891). Sporangia simple, often forming plasmodiocarps, 
depressed, sporangium-wall membranous, without lime ; capillitium 
abundant, of nearly straight threads without spiral thickening?, 
attached at both ends to the sporangium- wall. 
,KEY TO THE SPECIES OF DIANEMA. 
Sporangium-wall translucent, spores free — 
Spores minutely warted. 1. D. Harveyi 
Spores reticulated. 2. D. depressum 
Sporangium-wall granular, spores clustered, minutely warted 
3. Z). corticatum 
1. D. Harvejri Eex, I.e. Plasmodium ? Sporangia sessile, 
rounded or cushion-shaped, flattened above, averaging 1 mm. in 
diam., 0'35 mm. in height, sometimes elongated and bent into an 
irregular horse-shoe shape, dull red or gold-bronze, with a metallic 
lustre ; sporangium-wall membranous, thin, translucent, beset 
with the persistent ends of the capillitium when the rest of the 
threads have broken away. Capillitium of numerous slender, 
brownish-yellow threads, 1*5 to 2 /x diam., not connected with 
each other, simple or sparingly branched, forked two or three 
times near their origin or insertion, nearly parallel, straight or 
flexuose, running from the base to the upper wall of the 
sporangium. Spores pale yellow, minutely warted 8 to 10 /a diam. 
Plate LXXIV., A. — a. sporangia, x 20; J. capillitium, showing attachment 
of the threads to the base and upper wall of the sporangium, and spores, 
X 280 c. spores, x 600 (England). 
The specimen figured is taken from a gathering of eighteen sporangia 
on an ash stick near Lyme Regis, in the spring of 1894. They agree 
with the type from America in capillitium and spores, but the colour 
of the sporangia is dull brick-red. By the light of these specimens, 
that in Broome's Collection (B. M. 94) marked Fhysarum metalUcum, 
is clearly the same species ; it is in a fragile condition, and as the 
capillitium breaks up when mounted, the characters are difficult to 
recognise ; but the numerous broken points of attachment to the base 
and upper wall of the sporangium, together with the minutely warted 
spores, leave no doubt of its identity. The date and locality are 
not given by Broome, but it is probable that it was gathered at 
Batheaston in 1869 or 1870, as it stands in his collection among other 
specimens correctly marked Fhysarum metalUcum gathered there at 
that date. 
Rab. On dead wood.— Lyme Regis, Dorset (L:B.M.168) ; Maine 
(L:B.M.168 slide). 
2. D. depressum Lister. Plasmodium white, rarely rosy red, in 
rotten apple logs, ash sticks, etc. Sporangia forming sessile, 
pulvinate, depressed, broad plasmodiocarps, 2 to 10 mm. wide, 
about 0-3 mm. thick, when immature shining violet, ripening to 
grey -brown; sporangium-wall a smooth, translucent, yellowish- 
grey membrane, beset with the persistent ends of the capillitium 
when the rest of the threads have fallen away. Capillitium 
