p -
li'
' I
4 |i|
' I
'i I ',
‘1
! I
D IC T Y D IÜ M CERNFUM.
Nodding Dictydimn.
C la s s a n d O r d e h CRYPTOGAMIA P'UNGI, £ m « . _ N a t . O r d . G A S T R O M YC I
Link, Grev,
G EN E R IC CHARACTER.
Sporangium ghbosum, minutum. Peridium simplex, membranaceum, dehiscens,
e floods innatis, reticulatum et venosum. Sporidia coacervata.
Sporangium globose, minute. Peridium simple, membranaceous, dehiscent,
veined and reticulated with innate flocci. Sporidia aggregated.
S P E C IF IC CHARAC TER .
DicTvniuM c e rn u um ; gregarimn, fusco-purpureum, cermmm, umbilicatum,
peridii membrana decidua, jlocds persistentibus, validis.
D. gregarious, brownish-purple, nodding, umbilicated, the membrane of
the peridium deciduous, the flocci persistent, robust.
D ic ty d ium c ern u um , Nees ab Esenb. Syst. t. 10. f. ] 17.
Dictydium umbilicatum, Schrad. Nov. Gen. PL p. 1 1 . t. 4. £ 6.
C r i b r a r i a cern u a, Pers. Ob. Mycol. v. 1 . p. Ql.— Syn. Fung. p. I 89.— ,4/6.
et Schwein. p. 104.—Schwdn. Fung. Carol. Sup. No. 408.
M o c o r cancellatus. Baiseli, Elench. Fung. Cont. 2. p. 135. t. 42. f. 232.
H ad. On rotten wood, occasionally. Near Edinburgh, in various situa-
tions.
Plant gregarious, stipitate, minute. Stipes somewhat more than a line in
height, o f a dark colour, smooth, straight or flexuose. Sporangium subglobose,
mostly nodding, umbilicated, purplish-brown. Peridium curiously
formed o f a membrane intimately united with a series o f longitudinal,
parallel fibres, which are again connected b y short transverse
ones. After bursting, the membrane gradually falls away from
the interstices, and leaves the mere skeleton, as it were, o f the sporangium
perfect, and forming a beautiful permanent reticulated case,
through the openings of w hich the sporidia escape. Sporidia globose.
I' j
K if
So highly beautiful an object as the subject of the above
description, could not have remained so long unnoticed in this
country, if tbe microscope had not been necessary for its iiives-
VOI,. I I I .
rjl,; ‘