OF SOUTH AX:STRALIA. 
347 
STEMONITIS Gleditseli. 
(Gr., stemon, a tln-ead.) 
“Sporangia cylindrical, stalked, fasciculate; the solid black stalk extending 
within the sporangium to near the apex as a columella (except in confluent 
forms). Capillitium formed of numei’ous threads radiating from all parts of the 
columella and combined into a loose network, the ultimate branches united into 
a surface net (this is often incomplete in irregular developments).” — Lister. 
57(i. Stemonitis splendens Host. (L., splendent, beautiful). — “Plasmodium 
creamy-white. Total height (i to 20 mm. Sporangia cylindrical, obtuse, stalked, 
purplish-brown, closely fasciculate and forming large colonies. Stalk Idack, 
shining, slender, 1 to -i mm. long, rising frt)ni a well-developed silvery or puri)lisli 
hypothallus. Columella reaching to near the apex of the s])orangium, rigid. 
Capillitium of purplish-brown threads, the j)rinci])al branches springing at dif- 
ferent intervals from the columella, at first almost simple, suddenly branching 
to form a smooth surface net with rounded variously shaped meshes 20 to 70 /r 
wide. Spores pale reddish-purple, faintly and closely warted, 7 to 9 g. ” — Lister. 
South Australia — On pine stump, Glen Osmond. New South Wales. Tasmania. 
April, May, Novembei'. 
A beautiful little species growing in tufts on dead wood with short black 
stems and longer cylindiieal purplish-brown sporangia. 
PAlfllLY EETICULAEIACEAE. 
' ‘ Sporangia closely compacted and usually forming an aethalium. Sporangium- 
walls without plasm'odic granules, usually incom])lete, perforated, or forming a 
spurious capillitium; true capillitium none, or in Liceopsis consisting of a few 
branching threads and strands. ’ ’ — luster. 
DICTYDIAETHALIUM Rost. 
(Gr., dictydion, a little net; aetlialhum, the term for a comi)ound fructifiation.) 
“Aethalium pulvinate, formed of erect columnar sporangia. Sporangium-walls 
incomplete, dome-shaped at the apex, continued down to the basal membrane in 
four to six straight threads. Capillitium none. ’ ’ — Lister. 
577. Dictydiaethalium plumbevim Rost. (L., plumheun, lead-coloured). — “ Plas- 
moilium rose-red. Aethalium j)ulvinate, smooth, flattened, 1 to 5 cm. lu'oad, 0.5 
to 1 mm. thick, dull slate-coloured or clay-coloured, iridescent, areolatcd with the 
convex apices of the sporangia, often surrounded by a white membranous hypo- 
thallus; sporangia cylindrical, angled by mutual pressure, 0.5 to 1 mm. high, 0.2 
mm. broad; sporangium-wall ochraceous or yellow, persistent and forming a flat 
or dome-shaped cap at the apex, sometimes dark with sui)erficial deoosits of 
refuse-matter, continued down to the basal memlu'ane in four to six straight 
threads 2 to 4 m thick and triangular in section, evanescent between the threads. 
Spores clay-coloured in mass, when magnified pale yellow, spinulose, 9 to 12 g. ” 
— luster. South Australia — Plasmodium Light Coral-Red (xiii.) turning Carnelian 
Red (xiv.). Mount Lofty, National Park. .June, September. 
RETICULARIA Bull. 
(L., reticuhim\ a little net.) 
“Aethalium composed of numerous elongated interwoven sporangia, whose 
walls are partly evanescent, partly persistent, and form liroad expansions and 
strands dividing above into delicate capillitium-like threads. Spores and threads 
rusty brown. ’ ’ — Lister. 
578. Reticularia Lycoperdon Bull. (After Lycoperdoii, & genus of Puff-balls).- — 
“Plasmodium creamy- white. Aethalium pulvinate or subgiobose, 5 mm. to (i cm. 
diameter, brownish copper-coloured or enclosed in a thin smooth silverv cortex, 
seated on a well-developed hypothallus of interwoven membranous stramls. 
Pseudo-capillitium consisting of persistent portions of the sporangium-walls, 
foi-raing irregular branching strands arising from the hypothallus, dividing above 
into numerous slender flattened and flexuose msty-brown threads. Spores fi'ee or 
adhering loosely in large clusters, somewhat turbinate, rustv-brown, thickened and 
closely reticulated on the rounded side, the remaining part marked and scattered 
with warts, (5 to 10 g. On dead wood. — Lister. South Australia — Beaumont 
near Adelaide. New South Wales. March, May. 
Forming small silvery or brownish copper-coloured subgiobose or somewhat 
flattened discs suggesting a puff-ball. 
