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variable in length, blackish or rufous, wrmkled longitudinally,
equal or slightly attenuated upwards, expanding at the base
into a rudimentary hypothallus; columella hemispherical or
depressed, covered with the inner dark broion wrmkled skin,
lacunose, tbe cavities filled with amorphous masses of lime;
capillitium copious, threads springing from the columella, 2—3 g
thick, almost equal, dividing in a diehotomous manner, and
becoming attached to tbe inner wall of tbe sporangium, tbe
branches often connected laterally, and often more or less
studded with very minute granules of lime, varying from colourless,
through pale brown to dingy violet; spores globose, dirty
brownish-purple, minutely warted, 10—13 g diameter.
a. genuinum. Stem blackish or brown, as long or longer
than the height of the sporangium.
p. subsessile. Stem short, almost or altogether concealed in
tbe umbilicus of the sporangium. Sporangia solitary or more
or less confluent.
y. nigrum. An abnormal form without lime, hence the
sporangium from tlie first blackish. Stem short.
Didymium farinaceum, Rost., Mon., p. 154, figs. 128, 171,
174; Oooke, Myx. Brit., p. 31, figs. 128, 171, 174; Sacc., Syll.,
1039; Schroeter, p. 121; Raunk., Myx. Dan., p. 89.
Didymium lobatum, Fr. (specimen named by Fries, in Herb.
Berk., n. 10753).
Exsicc.—Jack, Leiner u. Sitzenb., 424; Cooke, Fung. Brit.,
Ed. II., 521; Fuckel, Fung. Rhen,, 1461; Klotzsch., (Rab.)
Herb. Myc., 138; Rab., Fung. Eur., 369.
On wood, bark, leaves, living moss, &c.
Britain (Cbislehurst, Kew, Carlisle, Scarboro’, Durham, Liu-
lithgow, Appin); Sweden; Germany; Bavaria; France; United
States; S. W. Australia; Bonin Islands.
Sporangia '5— mm. across, sometimes lobed, a character
which gave origin to the spurious species D. lobatum; sometimes
two or several sporangia coalesce, tiie stems remaining
distinct. The stem varies considerably in length, even in tbe
same group, thus showing the small amount of value to be
attached to Rostafinski’s forms; in some specimens tbe stem
is three times as long as the height of tbe sporangium, in
others so short as not to project beyond the umbilicus or
depression at the base of tbe sporangium. The threads of tbe
capillitium are often flexuous. The columella is at first dusky
owing to being covered witb tbe dark inner skin of the sporangium,
but in old plants this pellicle frequently disappears,
leaving a w'hite mass of lime, hence the columella appears
white.
(Rostafinski’s Synonyms.)
Sphaerocephalus niger. Hall, t. 1, f. 2 (1742).
Trichia, Hall, No. 2160, t. 48, f. 2 (1768).
Mucor sphaerocephalus, Batsch., p. 157 (1783).
Clathrus sphaerocephalus, Rehl. (1786).
Trichia globosa, Vill., FL Dauph., 1061 (1789).
Eeticularia hemispherica. Bull., t. 446, f. 1 (1791).
Trichia compressa, Trent, p. 229 (1797).
Trichia sphaerica, Trent, p. 230 (1797).
Trichia depressa, Trent, p. 231 (1797).
Physarum melanospermum, Pers. Disp., p. 8 (1797).
Didymium farinaceum, Sohrad., t. 3, f 6 (1797) ; Engl. Flor.,
V.. 313 ; Cooke, Hdbk., No. 1123 ; Fung. Brit., Ed. II., 521.
Trichia sphaeroeephala. Sow., t. 240 (1799).
Trichia farinacea, Poir., Enoyol, viii., 53.
Physarum farinaceum, Pers. Syn., 174 (1801).
Physarum cinerascens. Sebum. Saell, 1426 (1803).
Physarum depressum, Schum. Saell, 1439 (1803).
Physcmmi globosum, Schum. Saell., 1442 (1803).
Physarum oxyacanthae, Sebum. Saell., 1427 (1803).
Physarum cinereum, multis ?
Physarum clavus, Link, Diss., i., 27 (1809).
Physarum sinuosum. Link, Diss., i., 27 (1809).
Physarum capitatum, Link, Diss., i., 27 (1809).
Diderma muscicola. Link, Diss., i., 27 (1809).
Didymium capitatum. Link, Diss,, iii., 27 (1816).
Didymium lobatum, Nees, f. 104 (1817) ; Cooke, Hdbk., No.
1129.