these are reticulately connected near the
base, forming a network of large irregular meshes in a series along the
columella; outwardly they are terminated by very long free branchlets,
which vary from simple to two or three times forked or branched. Spores
globose, minutely warted, dark brown, 8-10 mic. in diameter. See Plate
XI, Fig. 31.

Growing on old wood and bark of Elm, Willow, etc., in Autumn. Sporangium
with the stipe 15-40 mm. in length, the stipe 3-8 mm. long, the
sporangium .25-.40 mm. in thickness. This is the most characteristic
species of the genus, being farthest removed from Stemonitis.

8. COMATRICHA FLACCIDA, Lister. Sporangia growing closely crowded
together and more or less confluent, on a purplish-brown hypothallus,
the walls fugacious. Columellas rising simply from the common
hypothallus, or sometimes grown together below and then apparently
branching, running through to the apex, and there often confluent with
each other, or joined together by portions of membrane. Capillitium of
slender brown threads, which branch and anastomose very irregularly,
forming a ragged network with large irregular meshes, and long free
extremities; the capillitium of adjoining columellas being much
entangled, and often confluent or grown together. Spores globose, very
minutely warted, brown, 7-9 mic. in diameter.

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
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. Arthur Lister
calls this _Stemonitis splendens_, var. _flaccida_.

IV. STEMONITIS, Gled. Sporangia subcylindric, elongated, stipitate,
standing close together on a well-developed common hypothallus, the wall
very thin and evanescent. Stipe brown or black, smooth and shining,
tapering upward, entering the sporangium and prolonged nearly to the
apex as a slender columella, the stipe shorter than the columella.
Capillitium arising from numerous points of the columella throughout its
entire length; the threads immediately branch and anastomose to form an
interior network of large meshes, they then spread out next the wall of
the sporangium into a superficial network of smaller meshes. Spores
globose, brown or violaceous.

In this genus there are two distinctly differentiated