40 
OHIO BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
FAMILY 10. LYCOGALACEAE. 
Sporangia combined into an aethalium. Capillitium consisting of 
smooth or wrinkled colorless branching tubes. A family of few species all 
in the genus Lycogala. 
1. LYCOGALA Adanson. 
Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fr. Plate VI, Figs. 1, la, and lb. 
Lycogala flavo-fuscum (Ehr.) Rost. Plate VI, Fig. 2. 
Aethalium subglobose or conical with a tough cortex consisting of two 
layers. The outer layer contains large vesicles. The capillitium consists 
of irregular branching wrinkled or nearly smooth tubes attached to the 
cortex and having numerous rounded free ends. 
A. Aethalia large, solitary. 1. L. flavo-fusciim 
A. Aethalia small, loosely clustered. 
B. Aethalia globose. 2. L epidendrum 
B. Aethalia conical. 3. L. conicum 
1. L. flavo-fuscum (Ehr.) Rost. Aethalia usually solitary, large, 2 to 
5cm. in diam., brown, smooth, shining. Capillitium of large branching 
nearly colorless smooth or somewhat wrinkled and papillose tubes, with 
many free ends. Spores colorless, minutely roughened, 5 to 6mmm. in diam. 
Undoubtedly a rare species in Ohio. The writer has seen it in the 
field but once, yet it is reported from a number of localities. The large 
size and persistent nature of the aethalim causing it to be collected more 
often than some of the more common Slime Molds. 
2. L. epidendrum (Linn.) Fries. Aethalia scattered or crowded, sub- 
globose, 2 to 10mm. in diam, dark brown, minutely warted. Capillitium 
of branching, thin walled, wrinkled tubes. Spores, in mass pink, colorless 
under the microscope, minutely roughened, 5 to 6mmm. in diam. 
Common everywhere on rotten wood; sometimes found on moist earth. 
3. L. conicum Pers. Aethalia scattered or crowded, conical, small, 1.5 
to 3mm. high, yellow brown, marked by obscure dark reticulations. Cap¬ 
illitium of abundant simple slender gray tubes, seldom branching, almost 
smooth, the free ends obtuse. Spores nearly colorless, minutely roughened, 
4 to 5mmm. in diam. 
(Miami Valley—Morgan), (Ohio—Lister). 
FAMILY 11. ARCYRIACEAE. 
Sporangia distinct, stalked or sessile. Capillitium a network of tubu¬ 
lar threads marked by half rings, cogs, or warts. 
KEY TO THE GENERA OF ARCYRIACEAE. 
A. Capillitium elastic. 1. Arcyria 
A. Capillitium inelastic. 
B. Sporangia sessile or stalked, not heaped. 
