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addition a sprinkling of large, superficial, snmo-iohite, amorphous
lumps of lime; stem about equalling the sporangium, from
dirty grey to brown, dilated downwards, and passing into a dark
hypothallus, longitudinally striate ; capillitium colourless, forming
an irregular net, threads very thin, often flexuous, nodes
small, often flattened, only very few containing lime; spores
globose, minutely warted, 9—10 g diameter.
Physarum granulatum, Balf., Grev., vol. x., p. 116 ; Sacc.,
Syll., n. 1204.
(Type in Herb., Kew.)
On wood. In Herb. Currey, Kew. No locality, but undoubtedly
British.
About 1-5 mm. high, closely resembling Physarum leucophaeum
in tbe capillitium and spores, but distinguished by the large
granules of bicarbonate of lime on the sporangial wall. In the
capillitium tbe present species approaches the genus Tilmadoche,
but differs in tbe gi'eat amount of lime on the sporangium wall.
Physarum Phillipsii, Balf. fil. (figs. 77, 78).
Sporangia stipitate or subsessile, laterally compressed, irregular,
subreniform, subpyriform, sometimes coalescing, dark grey,
generally more or less rugose, with numerous minute, white,
innate particles of lime; stem much shorter than sporangium,
thick, often flattened, blackish, sometimes almost obsolete; columella
absent; capillitium well developed, white, knots of lime
large, irregidar, numerous, connected by short, thin portions;
spores lilac, globose, mimdely warted, 10—12 g diameter.
Physarum Phillipsii, Balf. fil., Grev., vol. x., p. 116; Sacc.,
Syll., n. 1208.
(Type in Herb., Kew.)
On manured ground in an orchard house. Shrewsbury.
A very marked species, possibly having its nearest ally in
Physarum nephroideum, Rost. (I. B. B.).
Mr. A. Lister has appended tbe following note to the type
specimen of the present species in the Kew Herbarium :
“ Should not this be called Physarum eompressum, A. and S.,
as the older name ? I have grown it from plasmodium in large
quantity, and have sporangia answering both descriptions,”
The description of Physarum eompressum, by Albertini and
Schweinitz, is as follows:—“ P. eompressum. Stipitate, peridium
umbilicate, compressed like a bivalve shell, obversely parabolic,
grey. Stem of medium length, firm, brown. Peridium convex
above, dehiscing by a longitudinal fissure. Threads of capillitium
rather abundant, white.” Alb. and Scbw. Com Funo-
p. 97. “ ’
I am convinced that the present species is Physarum Phillipsii,
Balf fil., the type specimen is in a good state of preservation,
and the detailed description given by the author will enable
any one to recognize the species. In reply to Mr. Lister’s
question as to whether it is not tbe P. eompressum of A. and S.,
I must admit that I am not at all certain; the stem is not
brown as it should be, according to tbe description by the last-
named authors; the white capillitium, without further qualification,
is common to scores of species, therefore the only
feature which remains is the compressed sporangium, and this
I cannot admit as sufficient proof that Physarum Phillipsii
should be reduced to a synonym of Physarum eompressum,
A. and S. If Mr. Lister’s reasoning is sound, then we must
admit that pocket-lens characters are all-sufficient for the
determination of species, and that the more laborious arrd exact
system of microscopic examination initiated by Dr. Rostafinski
is a mere farce, and altogether unnecessary. In writing the
above I have assumed that Dr. Lister is not in possession of the
type specimen of Physarum eomp>ressum, A. and S.
Physarum didermoides, Rost. (figs. 82—84).
Sporangia elliptic-oblong, stipitate or rarely sessile, springing
from a broad, membranaceous, whitish hypothallus, wall double,
outer chalk-white, brittle, soon falling away; inner membranaceous,
grey; capillitium with numerous, rather large nodes
containing colourless granules of lime; spores globose, brownish-
violet, minutely warted, the warts often arranged in lines;
12—15 g diameter.