New England, North Carolina, on moss and lichens.—Dr. Sturgis.
2. Comatricha cylindrica (Bilgram) Macbr.
- 1905. Diachaea cylindrica Bilgram, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 524.
- 1911. Diachaea cylindrica Bilgram, List., Mycetozoa, 2nd ed., p. 121.
Sporangia cylindrical with obtuse apex, sessile, gregarious, iridescent, steel-gray or bronze, 1 to 1.7 mm. high, .5 to .65 mm. thick; hypothallus whitish, rugose; sporangium-wall membranous, hyaline, not adhering to the capillitium; columella arising from the hypothallus and extending nearly to the apex, brown, very light and semi-translucent near the base, irregular, flexuous, limeless throughout; capillitium brown, radiating from the columella to the periphery, repeatedly branching and anastomosing; spores warted, the warts connected by ridges forming a more or less perfect, coarse reticulation, violaceous, pale, 10–12 µ.
This is a very interesting species closely related to the preceding from which it differs chiefly in the reticulation and generally more uniform character of the spores. The author hesitated about the generic reference, finally referring it to Diachaea despite the lack of calcium, because it was sessile and had a peridium rather more persistent than is usual in comatrichas. But the presence of lime in stipe and columella is an essential element in the diagnosis of Diachaea, while length of stem is everywhere variable in stipitate forms of every genus, and the persistence of the peridium is also an uncertain factor; hangs on long in C. typhoides, e. g.
On dead twigs, etc.—Philadelphia,—Mr. Bilgram; New Hampshire.
3. Comatricha flaccida List.
- 1894. Comatricha flaccida List., Morg., Jour. Cin. Soc., p. 51.
- 1894. Stemonitis splendens, var. flaccida List., Mycetozoa, p. 112.
- 1894. Comatricha flaccida (List.) Morg., Macbr., N. A. S., p. 133.
- 1911. Stemonitis splendens, var. flaccida List., Mycetozoa, 2nd ed., p. 146.
Sporangia semi-erect, close crowded in tufts two inches in diameter, ferruginous, from a dark brown hypothallus, sessile or short stipitate; columella weak, crooked, percurrent, generally enlarged irregularly at the apex; capillitium of few, slender, brown branches which anastomose sparsely and irregularly as in C. irregularis, and present when freed from spores the same chenille-like appearance; spore-mass ferruginous brown; spores by transmitted light bright reddish brown, minutely warted, 8–10 µ.
"Growing on old wood and bark of Oak, Willow, etc. The component sporangia 5–10 mm. in length. The early appearance is much like that of a species of Stemonitis, but the mature stage is a great mass of spores with scanty capillitium, as in Reticularia; the columellas, however, are genuine and not adjacent portions of wall grown together."—Professor Morgan.