The North American Slime-Moulds Part 24

Reported from Ceylon, Java, Borneo, j.a.pan.

PHYSARUM DICTYOSPERMUM _List._

1905. _Physarum dictyospermum_ List., _Jour. Bot._, Vol. XLIII., p. 112.

"It is distinguished from the other known species of _Physarum_ by the strongly reticulated spores. Its nearest ally is perhaps _P.

psittacinum_ which it resembles in having orange-red lime-knots and in the sporangium-wall being studded with orange crystalline disks."

_Lister._

Reported collected once only; New Zealand.

PHYSARUM STRAMINIPES _List._

1898. _Physarum straminipes_ List., _Jour. Bot._, Vol. x.x.xVI., p. 163.

Plasmodium white; sporangia greyish-white, obovoid or wedge-shaped, .7 mm. in diameter, cl.u.s.tered or scattered, stipitate or sessile, when stipitate stalks long, weak; peridium membranous, pale purple; capillitium a persistent rigid net, the nodules white, rounded, sometimes aggregate as a pseudo-columella; spores purple-brown, 10-11 , warted, the papillae in definite patches.

Related to _P. compressum_.

Reported from England; Germany.

PHYSARUM CRATERIFORME _Petch._

_Physarum crateriforme_ Petch, _Ann. Perad._, IV., p. 304.

_Physarum crateriforme_ Petch, List., _Mycetozoa, 2nd ed._, p. 69, Pl. 76.

Sporangia gregarious, globose, clavate or crateriform, sessile or stipitate, white; stalk when present opaque conical, black below, white above, in crateriform sporangia entering and developed as a columella; capillitium various, strongly calcareous, the nodules either grouped in a pseudo-columella, or in globose sporangia, rod-like, ascending; spores closely spinulose, 11-15 .

Reported from Ceylon, j.a.pan, West Indies; Lisbon.

PHYSARUM GULIELMae _Penzig._

1898. _Physarum gulielmae_ Penzig., _Myx. Beut._, p. 34.

1909. _Physarum gulielmae_ Penzig., Torrend, _Fl. des Myx._, p. 208.

1911. _Physarum gulielmae_ Penzig., List., _Mycetozoa, 2nd ed._, p. 76.

Plasmodium yellow; sporangia sub-globose, sessile, brownish-orange or chestnut brown, rugulose, cl.u.s.tered or heaped, often with a yellow membranous hypothallus; peridium membranous with cl.u.s.tered deposits of yellowish-brown lime granules; capillitium abundant, the nodes angular, branching, white; spores purplish brown, spinulose, 10-12 .

Reported from Java, Sweden, Switzerland.

PHYSARUM ECHINOSPORUM _List._

1899. _Physarum echinosporum_ List., _Jour. Bot._, x.x.xVII., p. 147.

This species is distinguished from the preceding chiefly in episporic characters. "Spores purple, 8 , marked by strong ridges and spines," 8 .

Reported from Antigua.

PHYSARUM aeNEUM (_List._) _R. E. Fries._

1898. _Physarum murinum_ var. _aeneum_ Lister, _Jour. Bot._, x.x.xVI., p. 117.

1903. _Physarum aeneum_ Lister, R. E. Fries, _Arkiv. Bot._, I., p. 62.

Sporangia sessile, sub-globose or plasmodiocarpous, pinkish-brown or bronze, glossy; peridium double, the outer somewhat cartilaginous, brittle, falling back from the s.h.i.+ning, membranous inner wall; capillitium dense, the nodules not large, brown, sometimes aggregated to form a pseudo-columella; spores pale brownish-violet, nearly smooth, 6-8 .

Reported from West Indies, Bolivia.

=Related Genus=

TRICHAMPHORA _Junghuhn_, p. 12.

1838. _Trichamphora_, Junghuhn, _Fl. Crypt. Javanica_.

Sporangia discoidal, above concave, saucer-shaped, stipitate; the capillitium variable, anon physaroid, badhamioid, or even as in _Didymium_.

This genus is set up for the accommodation thus far of the single species following. It differs from _Physarella_ in the apparently constant discoidal shape, absence of trabecules, etc.

TRICHAMPHORA PEZIZOIDEA _Jungh._, _op. cit._

1838. _Trichamphora pezizoidea_ Jungh., _op. cit._ 1854. _Didymium zeylanic.u.m_ Berk. & Br., _Hook. Jour. Bot._, VI., p. 230.

1869. _Physarum macrocarpum_ f.u.c.kel, _Symb. Myc._, p. 343.

1875. _Chondrioderma pezizoidea_ Rost., _Mon._, p. 424, tab. VIII., Fig. 122.

1876. _Badhamia f.u.c.keliana_ Rost., _Mon._, _App._, p. 2.

1894. _Trichamphora pezizoidea_ Jungh., List., _Mycetozoa_, p. 89.

1911. _Trichamphora pezizoidea_ Jungh., List., _Mycetozoa, 2nd ed._, p. 90.

Sporangia discoidal or saucer-shaped, gregarious, stipitate, erect or nodding, grayish-white, the peridium thin, breaking irregularly and persistent; stipe subulate, striate, reddish brown, transparent; capillitium variable as above stated; spores pale violet-brown, spinulose or nearly smooth, about 9 .

In _Mycetozoa, 2nd ed._, the spores are described as "dark or pale purplish brown, spinose, spinulose or nearly smooth, 9-17 in diameter." This would seem too great a variation even in this protean species. The only specimens in our herbarium are from the Congo valley.

The spores are pale and nearly smooth, as in _Tilmadoche alba_, and 9 .

Spores 17 suggest immaturity; penultimate cell-division.

The synonymy above cited shows how this species has impressed careful students. Doubtless in every case the reference is correct, judging from the specimen each author had before him, although it is hard to see how _Chondrioderma_ might have been suggested.

The species is evidently tropical, though reported from Europe.

=4. Craterium= _Trentepohl_

1797. _Craterium_ Trentepohl, Roth, _Catal._, I., p. 224.