M.
i '
ll'l
duoing very much thinner branchlets, which are combined
amongst themselves at all points to form a rather loose network,
the peripheral meshes of the network formed o f comhined,
arcuate threads, and slightly smaller than the rest, especially
towards the lose o f the capillitium; spores 9—12 g diameter,
pale violet, verruculose.
Stemonitis maerosperma, Racib., Myx. Crac., p. 8; Saoc Syll
vii., 1, n. 1361. ’
Var. dbovata. Racib., sporangia obovate, 0'5—0'75 mm.
broad. With the type.
Var. oblonga. Racib., sporangia oblong, 0'75—1 mm. long,
0-3—0-5 mm. broad. With the type.
Poland.
Stemonitis Suksdorfii, Mass.
Gregarious, stipitate, sporangia cylindrical, very obtuse at
both ends, wall iridescent, evanescent; stem blackish-brown,
shining, about equal in length to sporangium, tapering upwards,
rather stout, becoming dilated at the base into a hypothallus;
spores in the mass hlaekish-purple. Columella rather thick’
sub-equal, blackish, usually becoming abruptly divided into
branches at some distance below the apex of the sporangium;
sometimes more or less flattened at the apex, and with a
tendency to become discoid; capillitium exceedingly dense, dark,
main branches originating from the columella; stout, tapering,
branches arcuate, combined to form an irregular, smallmeshed
network; spores bright lilac, minutely warted, 7__8 g
diameter.
Gomatricha Suksdorfii, Ellis and Everh.
On wood, bark, &c. United States.
(Described from a portion of type specimen communicated
by Wingate.)
From 5—6 mm. high.
Stemonitis afflnis, Mass.
Sporangia cylindrical, obtuse, up to 2 mm. h ig h ; stem from
its shoitness scarcely - distinct: columella reaching almost to apex
of the sporangium, then dividing into 2—5 branches; threads
of capillitium much more rigid at the base than in the ulterior,
very loose network, nodes often triangular, ultimate branches
arcuate, transversely joined, some free and excurrent; spores
pale violet, warted, 6—6 g diameter.
Gomatricha affinis, Rost., Mon., p. 202; Saco., Syll., vii., 1
n. 1359.
Germany.
Stemonitis confluens, Cke. and Ellis.
Forming compact tufts about 2 mm. high, from 8—15 ;
individuals spring from a firm, spreading, venulose hypothallus;
stems usually simple and distinct, dark brown, wrinkled towards
the base, about -5 mm. high, then breaking up into
from 2—4 main branches or columellas which anastomose laterally
with those of other individuals forming an irregular
plasmodiocarp, covered with a hlackish-violet, evanescent,
common cortex; mass of spores black with violet tinge; the
main branches springing from the columellas form a dense
network, threads arcuate, many of the meshes closed by a
thin membrane ; spores globose, dingy violet, minutely warted,
7—8 g diameter.
Stemonitis confluens, Cke. and Ellis, Grev., vol. v., p. 51.
Comatricha confluens, C. and E., Myx., U. States, p. 396.
On oak bark. United States.
A very interesting species, and highly instructive in showing
how the fundamental simple form becomes modified by confluence.
The general mass of the plasmodiocarp is sometimes
spherioo-depressed, and even at others the columella of one
individual of the colony remains simple and projects above
the mass as a finger-like projection; in others all the individuals
are more or less free at the tips. When the wall and spores
are completely blown away, the resemblance of the capillitium
to that of Beticularia is striking.