![](./pubData/source/images/pages/page92.jpg)
elaters are branched, the free ends varying from three to ten
iu number. The only other genus with free elaters is Oligonema,
but here the spirals are at most rudimentary and the tips
obtuse.
Distrib. All temperate and tropical countries. Species 30.
A. Spores smooth.
Trichia Carlyleana, Mass. (173—175).
Sporangia clavate or cylindric-oblong, stipitate, dark brown,
often with a purple tinge, smooth; stem usually about half as
long as sporangium, equal, or slightly thickened downwards
'and expanded at the base into a small circular hypotiiallus;
inner surface o f sporangial tvall and holloio o f stem with numerous'
rather large, organic lumps, of a bright reddish-purple colour;
mass of spores bright yellow; elaters fusiform, 5— 6 g at thickest
part, simple or frequently branched, tips running into a long,
smooth, very thin, straight or flexuous spine, spirals crowded,
thin, not prominent; spores globose, smooth, 10— 12 g diameter.
Trichia Carlyleana, Mass., Mon. Trich., p. 5, £ 1 5 .
On wood. Britain (Carlisle).
Sporangia in fascicles of 3—5 ; 2—3 mm. high. Superficially
resembling some forms of Trichia fragilis, but quite distinct
in the smooth spores, and the narrow, crowded, and not at
all prominent spirals of the elaters. The colouring matter in
the organic lumps on the wall of the sporangium and in the
stem is soluble in dilute potassie or ammonia hydrate.
Trichia heterotrichia, Balf.
Sporangia sessile in clusters, dark yellow, wall thick, tough
and leathery, inner layer areolate; elaters few, cylindrical, 7 g
diameter (thickenings excluded), with walls of medium thickness,
irregularly and variously thickened, either with spines
often twice diameter of elaters, or with short prickles or warts,
or with complete or half-rings, or sometimes with interrupted
and irregular spirals leaving large intervening unthickened
portions, swollen towards the extremities, and ending in a
tapered, rarely smooth, arcuate or twisted point, in length twice
the diameter of elater; spores globose, pale yellow, smooth,
16—17 g diameter.
Trichia heterotrichia, I. B. Balfour, Grev., vol. x., p. 117;
Sacc., Syll., n. 1505; Mass., Mon. Trich., p. 5, f. 16.
On bark. Britain (in Herb. Currey, Kew; no locality).
A species resembling most nearly forms of Trichia varia,
Pers., but the few elaters with the very varying sculpturing
and the larger smooth spores sufficiently separate them. (I.
B. B.)
B. Spores warted.
§ Elaters fusiform.
Trichia fragilis, Rost. (figs. 7—10).
Sporangia varying from globose to pyriform, stipitate, solitary,
or fasciculate on a common stem, wall smooth, blackish or
purple-brown, pale hrown or yellowish ; stem dark, longitudinally
wrinkled, equal or tapering upwards, erect or curved, often
twisted in the compound forms, inside of the wall often with
coloured organic lumps; mass of capillitium and spores varying
from dull orange-brown to primrose-yellow, separated from the
holloto of the stem by a membrane; elaters fusiform, 4—5 g at
thickest part, sometimes branched, spirals fiat, rather broad,^
not very prominent, tips smooth, tapering to a thin point, spores
globose, minutely warted, 11—14 g diameter.
a. genuina. Sporangia pyriform, solitary or fasciculate, clear
or black-brown, opaque; mass of capillitium and spores varying
from reddish-brown to dirty ochre ; stem erect.
/3. Lorinscricaia. Sporangia pyriform, solitary or fasciculate,
reddish-brown, polished; mass of capillitium and spores dirty
ochraceous; stem generally curved.
y. serótina. Sporangia clavate or pyriform, solitary or fasciculate
; mass of spores and capillitium clear yellow to ochraceous;
stem erect or curved.
8. lateritia. Sporangia suhglobose, solitary or fasciculate,
almost black; mass of capillitium and spores dark orange-brown;
stem attenuated upwards.