![](./pubData/source/images/pages/page174.jpg)
! -iH
lime; columella absent; spores free from the first, or originating
in clusters.
Leoearpus, Host., Mon., p. 132; Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 23;
Saoc., Syll., vii., 1, p. 358; Zopf, p. 148.
The one species included in the present genus is characterized
by tbe smooth, polished sporangial wall, and by the heterogeneous
structure of the capillitium, most of tbe swollen nodes
containing air, while a few of tbe largest are filled with granules
of lime as in the genus Physarum. Some years ago 1 met with
a batch of Leocaipus fragilis having the spores arranged in
clusters as in some species of Badhamia, and tbe following note
by Mr. A. Lister, attached to the present species in the Kew
Herbarium shows that this condition, although not constant,
is not altogether abnormal, and what is of more interest, tends
to show that aggregation of the spores in clusters is not of
specific value. “ In some sporangia tbe aggregation of the
spores is as marked as in any Badhamia hyalina, while in others
there is no such appearance at all.”
Distrib. Europe; United States; Tasmania. Species 1.
Leoearpus fragilis, Eost. (figs. 187—189).
Sporangia obovate, with a more or less elongated, slender,
weak stem, or sub-globose and nearly or quite sessile, vary in
colour from bright chestnut to oohraceous, vei-y smooth, shining ;
hypothallus well developed, capillitium dense, some of the nodes
emgpty, others filled with coloured granules of lime; spores globose,
either free from the first or in clusters, dingy purple, sometimes
with a brown tinge, 11—16 g diameter, minutely warted.
Leoearpus fragilis, Rost., Mon., p. 132, f. 93; Cooke, Myx.
Brit., p. 23, f. 93; Sacc., Syll., vii., 1, n. 1242; Zopf, p. 148.
Exsicc.—M. A. Libert. PI. Crypt. Ard., Faso. I., n. 76; Syd.,
Myc. March., 1297; Flor., Exs. Austro-Hung., 1864 ; Karst.,
Eung. Eenn., 377; Fuckel, Fung. Rhen., 1465; Rab.-Klotzsch,
Herb. Myo., 37; Ellis, N. Amer. Fung., 1123; Rav., Fung.
Car., 78.
On twigs, grass, moss, &o. Britain (Helston, Cornwall; New
F aligo.
Forest, Epping, Hereford, Scarboro’, Carlisle, Denbigh, Appin,
N. B.); Europe; U. States; Tasmania.
Usually densely gregarious, sometimes several sporangia are
more or less grown together, 2—3 mm. high, distinguished by
the pyriform or obovate, polished sporangia.
(Rostafinski’s Synonyms.)
Lycoperdon fragile, Dicks. Cr., t. 3, f. 3 (1785) ; Sow., t. 136.
Eeticularia fragilis, Poir, Ency.
Lycoperdon parasiticum, With. Arr., iv., 379 (1792).
Diderma vernicosum, Pers., Obs., t. 3, f. 7 (1796) ; FL Dan.,
t. 1312, f. 2; Eng. FL, v., 311 ; Cooke, Hdbk., n. 1108.
Triehia lutea, Trent., p. 230 (1797).
Diderma vernicosum, ¡3. parasitica, Pers., Syn., 165 (1801).
Physarum nitidum, Schum., Saell., 1451 (1803).
Physarum vernicosum, Schum., SaelL, 1462 (1803).
Leoearpus vernicosus, Link, Obs., i., 25 (1809) ; Nees., f. 100 ;
Grev., S. C. FL, iii. ; Corda, v., f. 32.
Leoearpus spermoides, Link, Obs., i., 25 (1809).
Leoearpus atrovirens, Fr., Gast., p. 13 (1817).
Leangmm vernicosum, Fr., Stirp., 83 (1825).
Diderma atrovirens, Fr., S. M., iii., 103 (1829).
Tripotrichia elegans, Corda, lo., i., f. 288 A (1837).
F uligo, Rost.
A pulvinate, large, irregular aethalium, formed of intertwined,
elongated sporangia, springing from a tough hypothallus, the
peripheral sporangia forming a friable, spurious cortex containing
a large quantity of lime ; capillitium strongly developed,
threads anastomosing to form a very irregular network, furnished
with irregularly stellate nodes containing granules of lime.
Fuligo, Eost., Mon., p. 134 ; Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 23 ; Saco.,
Syll., vii., 1, p. 353 ; Zopf, 149.
Closely approaching tbe genus Physarum in tbe structure of
tbe capillitium, differing iu its aethalioid nature, a character
certainly not of generic value taken alone. The absence of a