16 
OHIO BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
18. P. compactum (Wing.) Lister. Sporangia gregarious, globose, 
0.5mm. in diam., gray or bronze, iridescent spotted with white, stalked, 
erect, or nodding. Sporangium wall membranous containing rounded 
clusters of lime granules, splitting at maturity in afloriform manner into a 
number of segments. Stalk slender, furrowed, light colored, darker below. 
Capillitium slightly persistent consisting of a few small white lime knots 
connected by delicate colorless branching threads, and having a dense 
globular cluster of lime knots at the center. Columella absent. Spores 
violet brown, minutely roughened, 7 to 8mmm. in diam. 
Not rare in Ohio. 
19. P. nutans Pers. Sporangia gregarious, flattened or lenticular^ 0.5 
to 0.6mm. in diam., gray, stalked, generally nodding. Sporangium wall 
membranous containing clusters of white lime granules. Stalk subulate, 
variable in height and color, usually some shade of gray. Capillitium of 
of few small white lime knots connected by a mass of colorless threads 
which branch at an angle. Spores dark brown, smooth, 8 to 9mmm. in 
diam. 
Common everywhere in Ohio on sticks and logs. 
20. P. penetrale Rex. Sporangia scattered, ellipsoid or globose, small, 
gray or yellowish, stalked, erect or nodding. Sporangium wall smooth, 
membranous, containing clusters of pale yellow or gray lime granules, 
splitting at maturity into from one to four segments. Stalk variable in 
length, slender, subulate, smooth, solid, translucent, dull red or golden red, 
extending into the sporangium as a columella to some four-fifths of its 
height. Capillitium of small yellow rounded lime knots scattered in a 
dense network of hyaline threads. Spores violet brown, minutely roughened 
5 to 7mmm. in diam. 
(Miami Valley—Morgan), (Ohio—Macbride). 
21. P. pusillum (B. & C.) Lister. Sporangia scattered, subglobose, 
0.4 to 0.6mm. in diam., white with reddish base, rugose, stalked, erect or 
somewhat inclined. Sporangium wall membranous, with dense clusters of 
included white lime granules. Stalk reddish, furrowed. Columella absent. 
Capillitium of white lime knots, of variable size connected by a network of 
colorless threads. Spores pale brownish-violet, almost smooth, 8 to 
llmmm. in diam. 
(Miami Valley—Morgan), (Cuyahoga Co.—Lloyd Herb). 
22. P. maydis ( Morgan) Torrend. Sporangia gregarious, globose or 
obovoid, 0.4 to 0.6mm. in diam., yellow, stalked. Sporangium wall scaly, 
yellow above, red below, containing yellow lime granules. Stalk red 
brown, translucent, variable in size and length. Columella absent. 
Capillitium of numerous branching yellow lime knots connected by a 
