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of lime, as is also the orbicular, depressed, paU columella; capillitium
colourless, threads very slender, combined into a dense
irregular net; spores gdobose, brownisb-lilac, minutely warted,
8—11 g diameter.
Didymium eximium, Peck, in 31st Rep. N. York State Mus.,
p. 41; Sacc., Syll., n. 1314.
Exsicc.—Ellis and Everhart, N. Amer. Fung., Ser. II.. 2089.
(Authentic specimen from author in Hb., Kew.)
On dead leaves, herbaceous stems, &c. U. States.
Scattered or gregarious, from 1—1'5 mm. high, stem twice
or more the length of tbe sporangium. Threads of capillitium
often more or less dilated at the angles, and rarely with a
slightly thickened interstitial portion, which does not however
contain lime.
Didymium flavicomum, Mass. (figs. 76—78).
Sporangium depresso-globose, minutely umbilicate below,
pale yellow, at first frosted witb a few scattered crystals of lim e ;
stem elongated, slender, erect or slightly curved near the apex,
subequal or attenuated upwards, yellowish-rufous, often darker
at tbe base, which expands into a minute hypothailus, longitudinally
wrinkled and containing amorphous granules of lime;
columella absent; capillitium pale yellow, threads variously
combined to form a rather dense net, dilated at the nodes, which
are without a trace of lime; spores almost colourless, very
minutely verruculose, 9—10 g diameter.
Physarum flavioomum. Berk., Hook. Journ. Bot., vol. iv.,
p. 66; Sacc., Syll, n. 1193 (in part).
Physarum Bcrheleyi, Rost., Mon., p. 10.5.
(Type in Herb. Berk., n. 10,782.)
On decorticated wood. Australia (Swan River).
Gregarious, 2-.5—3 mm. high, stem slender, three to four
times as long as tbe sporangium. The present very distinct
species has been hopelessly confused by Rostafinski and by
Berlese in Sacoardo’s Sylloge, and the mistakes committed by
both can be traced to the modern pernicious system of paying
attention to books rather than specimens, always a mistake, and
more especially so when dealing with diagnoses of microscopic
species described half a century ago. The following synonyms
by Rostafinski, although absolutely worthless from a scientific
standpoint, may be historically interesting.
(Rostafinski’s Synonyms.)
Physarum flavieomum, B., Hook. Journ., p. 66, n. 63 (1845).
Stylonites fulvieeps, Fr., Fung. Natal, p. 33 (1848).
Physarum euprieeps, B. et Rav., Fung. Car. Exs. iii., n. 76
(1855).
Ophiotheca ? Roussel. Antil. (1872).
Physanim cupripes, B. and Rav., Grev., p. 65, n. 355 (1873).
Physarum roseum, B. et Br., cfr. Grev., p. 65 (1873).
Didymium elegantissimum, Mass. (n. sp.). •
Sporangia scattered, stipitate, hemispherico-depressed, witb a
broad, shallow umbilicus below, snow-white, with a dense coating
of stellate crystals; stem elongated, equal, rather stout,
longitudinally rugulose, In’ight orange-brown, passing into a small
hypothallus of the same colour; capillitium absent; threads
3—4 g thick at the base, forking at acute angles, here and
there anastomosing to form irregular portions of network, most
of the main branches with numerous small nodulose swellings at
regular intervals, giving a moniliform apjiearance, pale and
lilac-brown below; spores globose, 8—10 g diameter, mmwie/y
warted, pale lilac.
Physarum striatum, Fr., Syd. Myc. March., 490 (Kew copy).
On twigs and leaves. Britain (Scarboro’) ; Germany.
About I ' O mm. high. Stem two or three times as long as
sporangium. Bears a superficial resemblance to Didymium
pertusum, Berk., from which it is readily distinguished by tbe
denser capillitium and the moniliform thickening of the threads.
B. Sponingnim sessile.
Didymium leptotrichum, Mass.
Sporangia venulose or irregular, depressed, wall single,