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fragile, blackish cortex; capillitium dense, forming an irregular
network, the two branches forming the angles of the larger
dichotomies connected by a membrane; spores brownish-violet,
globose, minutely warted, 14—17 g diameter.
Amaurochaete atra, Rost., Mon., p. 210. fig. 67; Cke., Myx.
Brit., p. 52, f. 67; Saco., Syll., vii., no. 1375.
On wood and bark, especially of pines. Britain (Ascot,
Lyndhurst, Leicester, Somerset, Aboyne, N. B.); Germany;
France; Sweden; United States.
Varying from 1—3 in. or more across.
In the typical form the sporangia are very irregular and have
nearly lost their individuality, whereas in other specimens the
whole structure suggests the idea of a number of confluent
individuals of a sessile Stemonitis.
B r e f e l d ia , Rost.
Aethalium composed of numerous naked, elongated, closely-
packed sporangia, arranged in several stra ta ; columellas of the
various sporangia coalescing to form tree-like branchings,
branches of the capillitium meeting at the boundary of
the sporangia and coalescing by the formation of polycellular
vesicles.
Brefeldia, Rost., Mon., p. 212; Cke., Myx. Brit., p. 53; Sacc.,
Syll., vii., p. 402; Raunk., Myx. Dan., p. 96.
Like Beticularia, the one species constituting the present
genus is only known in the aethalioid form, and the component
sporangia are much contorted. The principal feature of the
genus is the presence of numerous very peculiar structures met
with scattered at intervals in the threads of the capillitium.
These bodies usually consist of eight cell-like vesicles more or
less quadrate in outline, measuring 8—15 g in diameter, and
arranged in a quadrate manner, the capillitium threads are
attached to the four cells forming the two ends of the cluster
of vesicles by short branches, usually four in number, one
being attached to each vesicle. Rostafinski says that these
bodies are situated at the points where adjacent sporangia
meet.
Distrib. Europe. Species 1.
Brefeldia maxima, Eost. (figs. 254—256).
Aethalium large, pulvinate, surface blackish with purple or
olive tints, rough with iiTegular wart-like nodules, seated on
a firm, silvery-looking hypothallus; capillitium dense, threads
irregularly anastomosing, dark coloured, with numerous intercalary
clusters of vesicles; spores in the mass blackish with
a purple tinge, globose, minutely warted, 13—17 g diameter.
Brefeldia maxima, Rest., Mon., p. 213, figs. 60, 65, 66, 69,
70; Cke., Myx. Brit., p. 53, figs. 60, 65, 66, 69, 70; Saco., Syll.,
vii., no. 1377 ; Raunk,, Myx. Dan., p. 96, t. 5, f. 13.
Licea perreptans, Berk., Gard. Chron,, 1848, p. 451.
Exsicc.—Cke., Fung. Brit., Ed. II., n. 518.
On fallen trunks, &c. Britain (Rolleston, Kew); Germany.
Eoiming large pulvinate patches of irregular form varying
from 1—6 inches across.
(Rostafinski’s Synonyms.)
Lycoperdon epidendrum, Sow., 400, f 2, 3 (1809).
Dermodium inquinans, Fr. Gast., 9 (1817).
Beticularia maxima, Fr. S. M., iii., 85 (1829); Eng. El., v.,
308; Cooke, Hdbk., No. 1097; Fungi Britt,, ii., 518.
Lycoperdon eehiniformis, Sow., t. 400, f. 1.
Licea perreptans, Berk., Gard. Chron. (1848), 451; Ann. Nat.
H ist, No. 392; Cooke, Hdbk., No. 1196,
E o st a f in sk ia , Speg.
Sporangia flexuous, intricately combined to form aethalia of
varying magnitude, seated on a flocooso-papyraceous hypothallus;
columellas absent; capillitium well-developed, not furnished
with granules of lime, persistent, naked; spores globose or
irregular, coloured, present only in the central stratum of the
aethalium.