Sporangia clustered, in scattered tufts, cylindric, obtuse, pallid ferruginous, stipitate or sometimes nearly sessile; stipe fuscous or jet-black, only slightly expanded below, much shorter than the columella; hypothallus scanty or none; columella lessening upward, sometimes attaining the apex of the sporangium, sometimes dissolved in capillitial threads some distance below; capillitium of rich brown threads forming the usual inner network of medium density, with many wide expanded nodes, the surface net made up of delicate, almost colorless threads surrounding small polygonal meshes; spore-mass ferruginous, spores by transmitted light very pale, brownish, minutely warted, 7–9 µ.

The plasmodium of this species is variously cited from white to yellow. Probably each report is true, dependent on the relative time of the observation.

The low tufts of brown sporangia with short black stipes, borne often as Dr. Peck found them, assembled on living leaves, distinguish this little species. In the former edition this form was tentatively enrolled under S. axifera (Bull.); but see further under that species.

Probably widely distributed, but confused with short forms of other species; sometimes also on rotten wood or other substratum; so reported.

New York to Iowa; Washington and Oregon. Reported also from Europe.

3. Comatricha (Preuss) Rost.

Sporangia cylindric or globose, stipitate; stipe prolonged upward to form a more or less extended and tapering columella bearing branches on every side, which by repeated divisions and reunions form the capillitium; ultimate branch-tips free, not supporting a surface net parallel to the peridial wall; peridium evanescent, perhaps sometimes not developed at all.

The genus Comatricha was set off from Stemonitis by the joint effort of Preuss (1851) and Rostafinski (1873–5). Preuss included in his genus, Comatricha, alien forms, and besides failed to give an accurate definition; included, however, in his list some species which have since been known by his generic name.