208 
Mycologia 
minutely spinulose and with many free, pointed ends ; and pale 
reddish spores. It is unquestionably Hemitrichm Vesparinm 
(Batsch) Macbr. 
“ Stemonitis digitata Schw. Herb. Schw.” 
Except for the fasciculate habit, there is nothing to distinguish 
this specimen from Arcyria cinerea (Bull.) Pers. 
“ Stemonitis maxima Schw. Herb. Schw.” 
The marked difference of opinion between the leading students 
of Myxomycetes as to the characteristic features of Stemonitis 
fusca Roth are due, of course, to the loss of that specific type. 
Rostafinski describes what he considers as Roth’s species and 
states that the spores are smooth. Macbride accepts this dictum, 
and therefore applies the name S. fusca (Roth) Rost, to fuscous 
forms having smooth or slightly warted spores. To similar forms 
having reticulated spores he applies the name 6". maxima Schw. 
Lister, however, after examining the specimens established by 
Rostafinski as 5". fusca Roth, pronounces the spores to be not 
smooth, as stated by Rostfinski, but delicately reticulated. It 
seems difficult, therefore, to escape the conclusion that forms 
showing reticulated spores should be placed in the ‘'fusca” 
group. It is here that 6’. maxima Schw. belongs. The specimen 
in Herb. Curtis consists of a few crushed and weathered spo- 
rangia about lo mm. in height; surface net reddish, small- 
meshed, meshes angular, 6-15 /x. diam. ; spores pale smoky brown, 
closely and faintly reticulate, 7/x diam. 
“(1967) Stemonitis porphyra B. & C.,ad lign. muscos. Pini. 
Maio 1849. Santee Canal, S. C. Ravenel (744).” 
Miss Lister (Monog., Ed. 2, p. 165) refers this species doubt- 
fully to Lamproderma columhinum (Pers.) Rost., for which ref- 
erence the original description (Grevillea 2; 69, 1873) certainly 
gives some grounds. The specimen, however, is a very different 
thing. Though in poor condition, it shows a number of brittle, 
calcareous, purple stalks, 0.9 mm. long and 0.08-0.09 mm. thick, 
and a capillitium of the “ globuliferum” type, but with small 
reddish purple lime-knots ; the spores are very pale reddish, 
smooth, and measure 7.8 /x, diam. This is evidently Physarum 
