- 1890. Stemonitis splendens R. f. fenestrata Rex, Proc. Phil. Acad., p. 36.
Sporangia aggregated, in tufts 2 cm. or more in diameter, rich purple brown, on a common hypothallus, more or less erect, stipitate, tall, about 2 cm., slender, triangular in section; stipe black, about one-third the total height, passing into a slender columella which is lateral in position, not central, but little branched, continued almost to the apex; the capillitium consisting almost entirely of the peripheral net, which presents meshes of unusual uniformity of size and shape; spores in mass brown, colorless by transmitted light, nearly smooth, 6–7.5 µ.
The remarkable shape of the sporangium and the peculiar regularity of the surface net, the lateral columella, all combine here to warrant the erection of a distinct species. Dr. Rex referred this to S. bäuerlinii Mass. At that time he had not the author's description, and had seen only a very poor fragment received with notes in a letter. Mr. Massee's description makes it immediately evident that whatever other affiliations S. bäuerlinii may have, by description it has at least none with S. fenestrata nor with our northern form of S. splendens. Massee's species is described as having the "mass of spores black", the capillitium with "branches springing from the columella; the main branches more and more numerous, thicker and irregular towards the apex of the sporangium, and often form irregular flattened expansions":—etc. This suggests some form of S. dictyospora Rost.: see under our No. 5. Possibly for such reasons Lister referred it to S. splendens Rost., which as we have just seen, was undoubtedly regarded by the author as a form of the fuscous group.
The long, slender, simple columella is not only lateral, but occupies indeed the sharp vertical angle of the triangular, prismatic sporangium. Furthermore, the sporangium is at maturity strangely twisted, so that the columella in its ascent accomplishes one or more spiral turns. In forms collected by Dr. Rex, which seemed to him most nearly to agree with Massee's species, the inner capillitium is somewhat abundant, but the character of the columella just the same.
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kansas, Colorado, Iowa; India!
11. Stemonitis smithii Macbr.
- 1893. Stemonitis smithii Macbr., Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. Ia., II., p. 381.
- 1894. Stemonitis microspora List., Morg., Jour. Cin. Soc., p. 54.
- 1911. Stemonitis ferruginea var. smithii Lister, Mycetozoa, 2nd ed., p. 150.
Sporangia in small clusters, close-packed and erect, not spreading, bright ferruginous prior to spore dispersal, cylindric, stipitate, of varying height; stipe jet-black, shining, about one-third the total height; hypothallus generally well developed; columella black, gradually tapering, at length dissolving in capillitial threads and net some distance below the diminished plumose apex; capillitium of fuscous threads, the inner network of abundant, sparingly united branches uniformly thickened, the surface net very delicate, composed of small, regular, polygonal meshes, the peridial processes few; spore-mass bright ferruginous, spores by transmitted light pale, almost colorless, smooth, 4–5 µ.
The species as thus constituted includes forms varying in size from 2.5–3 mm. only. The common form heretofore known everywhere in America as S. ferruginea is from 10–15 mm. high. The type to which the specific name S. smithii was originally applied is 2.5 mm. high and rejoices in smooth, almost colorless spores, 4–5 µ.
The plasmodium in the case of the species now considered is as concerns the type, of course, unknown. In one or two gatherings referred here the color of the plasmodium was noted greenish-yellow. This has the look of S. flavogenita; but small spores and delicate make-up take it the other way. Miss Lister makes it varietal to No. 12, next following.