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of red; mass of spores hrigU reddish-cinnamon; threads of
capillitium colourless, much h-anched, nulls smooth, not collapsing
when dry, 4—5 g thick; spores globose, 10 /a diameter, rather
coarsely warted.
On fragments of rotten wood lying on the ground.
South Africa.
(Type in Herb. Berk., n. 10706.)
Gregarious. Distinguished by the dense capillitium, the
tubes of which have thick, smooth walls, and the large spores.
P rototrichia, Eost. (emended).
Sporangia simple or fasciculate, stipitate or sessile, thin,
reflecting metallic tints, dehiscing irregularly; capillitium well-
developed, elaters attached by one end to the basal portion
of the sporangium, becoming attenuated upwards and dividing
into a variable number of slender, tapering, free tips, the slender
branchlets are sometimes more or less connected laterally, elaters
furnished with spirals, irregular rings, or entirely smooth.
Prototrichia, Eost., Mon. App., p. 38; Cooke, Myx. Brit.,
p. 65; Sacc., Syll., vii, pt. I., p. 437; Mass., Revis. Trich ’
p. 349.
Trichia, B. and Br., Ann. Nat. Hist., Ser. III., vol. xviii.,
p. 56, pi. 2., f. 4.
Gornuvia, Rost., Mon., p. 289 (in p a rt); Cooke, Myx. Brit.,
p. 76 (in p a rt); Sacc., Syll., vii., pt. 1 . p. 289 (in part).
Alwisia, B. and Br., Journ. Linn. Soc., xiv., p . 87, t . 2, f . 6,
and XV., t . 2, f . 1; Mass., Mon. Trich., p . 348.
Trichia, Rost.. Mon., p. 246 (in p a rt); Saco., Syll., vii., pt. I.,
n. 1494 (in part).
As above defined the main features of the genus are the thin
iridescent sporangial wall and the elaters attached at one end
to the base of the sporangium, and becoming divided above into
a variable number of tapering, free tips, the branchlets are
rarely connected transversely, but never to such an extent as
to suggest a network.
Distrib, Europe ; Tasmania; Ceylon : 5 species.
A. Spores smooth.
Prototrichia flagellifera, Eost. (figs. 130 132).
Sporangia scattered, globose, attenuated below to a narrow
point of attachment, wall thin, smooth, copper-colour, and
reflecting metallic tints; mass of capillitium and spores flesh-
colour- daters 7— 9 g broad at the base, tapering towards the
apex, branching at some distance towards the point of attachment
into two or three arms, each generally a p in divided near
the apex, spirals thin, not prominent, sometimes crowded at
others distant, disappearing below the ultimate branchlets,
brown, becoming colourless towards the tips; spores globose,
smooth, 10—13 g diameter.
Prototrichia flagdlifcr, Rost.. Mon. Appendix, p. 38 (in p a rt);
Cooke, Myx. Brit., p. 65 ; Saco., Syll, n. 1492 (in p a rt); Mass.,
Rev. Trich., p. 830, pi. vii., f. 23. . „ ttt i
T r i c h i a flagdlifcr, B. and Br., Ann. Nat. Hist., Ser. III., vol.
xviii., p. 56, pi. 2, f. 4 (no. 1143).
Dermatricha flagdlifcr, Cooke, MS.
(Type specimen in Herb. Berk., Kew, n. 10,905).
On dead wood. Britain (Badminton, Gloucester, Carlisle);
Sweden. ,
Scattered, or rarely 3 - 5 in a cluster, hut not crowded
together, -5 or a little more in diameter. A very neat species,
the sporangial wall is unusually persistent, hence the plant is
generally found in good condition. The smooth spores and
elaters thickest at the point of attachment mark the species.
Prototrichia metallica, Mass.
Sporangia scattered, stipitate or sessile on a broad base,
spherical or depressed and lenticular, smooth, shining, copper-
colour with metallic tints; stem very short, rather thick, darker
in colour than the sporangium; mass of capillitium and spores
pale ficsh-colonr or yellowish; daters elongato-fusiform, 6—7 g
at thickest part, 300—400 g long, terminating at the apex in a
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