Sporangia gregarious, globose, dusky yellow when filled with spores, dull or dusky brown when these are discharged, stipitate; stipe long, 3–4 times the sporangium, subulate, erect-nodding, brown; hypothallus none; network brown, with large meshes, imperfectly defined nodes and flattened threads; calyculus none, its place supplied by nine or ten distinct, firm ribs which radiate from the stipe and support the net, branching to blend with its reticulations; spore-mass yellow, spores by transmitted light, colorless, smooth or nearly so, 6–7.5 µ.
Of this species two specimens only are before us, one from Muscatine County, Iowa, and one from Washington (state). The species seems thus to have wide range, but to be exceedingly rare. It differs from all other American forms, so far described, in the peculiar development of the calyculus. Rostafinski emphasizes the persistence of the peridial wall and the peculiar gleaming of the metallic tints, displayed by all the structures. These particulars we have not been able to verify. Such characters may be incident to age or conditions of development. At all events, in forms which in all other respects seem to agree exactly with Rostafinski's descriptions, the colors are dull and without any noticeable iridescence. The spores in our specimens are also a little larger than quoted. Rostafinski gives 5–6 µ; Massee, 5–7 µ.
6. Cribraria aurantiaca Schrader.
[Plate XVII]., Fig. 3, and [XIX.], Fig. 7.
- 1797. Cribraria aurantiaca Schrad., Nov. Gen. Pl., p. 5.
Sporangia gregarious, spherical, dusky or yellowish stipitate, nodding; the calyculus variable, generally prominent, more or less distinctly marked by fine, delicate radiating venules, the margin denticulate, the teeth numerous and slender, supporting the well-defined globose net; network made up of very tenuous threads, forming rather small irregular brownish nodules and showing only here and there a free extremity; stipe generally short, two or three times the diameter of the sporangium, sometimes longer, tapering upward, brown, slender, arcuate above; spore-mass yellow or ochraceous, spores by transmitted light, colorless, 5–6 µ, almost smooth.
This widely distributed and very variable species is generally recognized by the large sporangia, .5–.9 mm., comparatively short stipe, simple net, and more or less orange color. The color is an uncertain thing even in the sporangia, which rise from one plasmodium. Schrader, however, made this feature so far diagnostic that he placed the more pronouncedly yellow forms in the species C. aurantiaca and set off as C. vulgaris forms in which more dusky tints prevail. The dark-colored forms have also usually longer stipes, but so much is dependent upon the climatic conditions prevalent at the time of fruiting, that this feature also is indeterminate. Rostafinski's figures, 21 and 26, Tab. II., show the characteristic nodules and the typical net structure. It is to be observed that Fig. 21 represents higher magnification; otherwise the two figures are very much alike.
New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and South, Ohio, Washington, California; Canada, Toronto.
7. Cribraria dictydioides Cke. & Balf.
[Plate I.], Figs. 5, 5 a, 5 b, and [XIX.], 6, 6 a, 6 b.