THE SLIME MOLDS OF OHIO 
27 
KEY TO THE GENERA OF STEMONITACEAE. 
A. Capillitium springing from all parts of the columella. 
B. Capillitium branches united into a surface net. 1. Stemonitis 
B. Capillitium branches with free tips. 2. Comatrichia 
A. Capillitium springing from the apex of the columella. 
C. Columella reaching the apex of the sporangium. 3. Enerthenema 
C. Columella penetrating to near the center of the sporangium. 4. Lamproderma 
C. Columella very short, making the capillitium appear to spring from the base 
of the sporangium. 5. Clastoderma 
1. STEMIONTIS Gleditsch. 
Stemonitis splendens Rost. Plate V, Fig. 1 and la. 
Sporangia distinct, densely clustered, cylindrical, stalked. Columella 
prominent, usually extending to near the apex of the sporangium. The 
capillitium arises from the entire length of the columella as branched 
threads which unite at the surface of the sporangium to form a net 
supporting the delicate and evanescent sporangium wall. 
A. Spores gray or violet. 
B. Spores reticulated. 
B. Spores nearly smooth. 
C. Meshes of surface net large, 20 to lOOmmm. in diam. 
C. Meshes of surface net 10 to 20mmm. in diam. 
D. Sporangia in large clusters. 
D. Sporangia in small scattered groups. 
A. Spores ferruginous. 
E. Sporangia 8 to 20mm. high. 
E. Sporangia 3 to 6mm. high. 
1. S. fusca 
2. 5. splendens 
3. S. herbatica 
4. S. pallida 
5. 5. ferruginea 
6. S. smithii 
1. S. fusca Roth. Sporangia closely clustered, cylindrical, obtuse, dark 
purple, stalked. Stalk black, shining, arising from a prominent brown 
hypothallus. Capillitium arising from the columella as numerous dark 
brown branches and forming a delicate superficial net with meshes from 6 
to 16mmm. wide. Spores gray or violet, reticulated, 8 to lOmmm. in diam. 
Common everywhere on rotten logs. 
2. S. splendens Rost. Sporangia closely clustered, cylindrical, obtuse, 
dark purple, 8 to 20mm. high, stalked. Stalk black, shining, arising from 
a prominent silvery or purplish hypothallus. Capillitium purple brown, 
arising as a few prominent threads from the rigid columella and branching 
to form a surface net of large rounded meshes from 20 to 70mmm. in 
diam. 
Spores violet brown, nearly smooth, 7 to 9mmm. in diam. 
Common everywhere on rotten logs. 
Var. 1 .—webberi TRex) Lister. Meshes of net very large, 80 to 
lOOmmm. wide. Sporangia stiff, erect. 
Not rare. 
