Part 10

9. TRICHIA SCABRA, Rost. Sporangia globose or somewhat irregular, sessile and closely crowded on a well-developed hypothallus; the wall thin, gold-yellow or orange to yellow-brown in color, smooth and shining. Mass of capillitium and spores orange or golden-yellow; elaters long, simple, 4-5 mic. in thickness, ending in a smooth tapering point, 5-8 mic. in length; spirals three or four, covered with numerous short acute spinules. Spores globose, minutely warted, 9-11 mic. in diameter. See Plate I, Fig. 23.

Growing on old wood in patches, sometimes several centimeters in extent. Sporangia .6-1 mm. in diameter. "The papillæ, which cover the spore, show, when highly magnified, a distinct net-like pattern," McBride. The elaters of this species are subject to much irregularity in the way of abnormal swellings, duplicating the spines at the apex, etc.; the spinules are sometimes quite obsolete on some or all of the elaters of a sporangium.

§3. GONIOSPORA, Fr. Sporangia obovoid to oblong, sessile and closely crowded on a well-developed common hypothallus. Spores with thick ridges upon the surface, which are combined into a more or less incomplete network of polygonal meshes.

The ridges of the epispore are 1-2 mic. in height, and do not present to the view more than two or three perfect polygons on a hemisphere of the spores; more often the reticulation is imperfect, the ridges being interrupted and defective. When highly magnified these ridges are seen to be "perforated through their thickness with one, two or three rows, or with clusters of cylindrical openings or pits, or are sculptured into intricate plexuses of minute reticulations with quadrilateral interspaces."

10. TRICHIA AFFINIS, DeB. Sporangia obovoid to oblong, sessile and closely crowded on a common hypothallus; the wall thin, golden-yellow to tawny or brownish-yellow, smooth and shining. Mass of capillitium and spores golden to tawny-yellow; elaters long, simple, 4-5 mic. in thickness, ending in a smooth tapering point, 6-10 mic. in length; spirals four, usually spinulose, rarely smooth. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, 10-12 mic. in diameter.

Growing on old wood and bark in small patches of a few millimeters to a centimeter or more in extent. Sporangia .6-.8 mm. in height by .4-.5 mm. in diameter. Trichia Jackii, Rost., is included in this species.

11. TRICHIA CHRYSOSPERMA, Bull. Sporangia oblong-obovoid to cylindric, sessile and closely crowded on a well-developed hypothallus; the wall thin, pale citron to olive-yellow, smooth and shining. Mass of capillitium and spores, golden to ochre-yellow; elaters long, simple, 6-8 mic. in thickness, ending in a smooth tapering point, 3-7 mic. in length; spirals four or five, usually smooth, rarely spinulose. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, 12-14 mic. in diameter.

Growing on old wood, in small patches, one to several centimeters in extent. Sporangia 1-2 mm. in height and .5-.6 mm. in diameter. This is readily distinguished from Trichia affinis by the larger and differently colored sporangia.

IV. OLIGONEMA, Rost. Sporangia subglobose, more or less irregular, sessile and closely crowded, often in heaps, one upon another, the wall thin, smooth and shining; hypothallus none. Capillitium scanty, composed of elaters habitually irregular and abnormal, intermingled with the spores; elaters simple or sometimes branched, commonly very short, but varying greatly in length, even in the same sporangium; the surface marked with faint spirals, with a few annular ridges, minutely punctulate or altogether smooth. Spores globose, yellow.

The species of this genus are to be regarded as degenerate Trichias. Of course, the abnormality is exhibited most markedly by the elaters; nevertheless, the sporangia of some of the species have a peculiar habit of heaping themselves upon each other.

A. Surface of the spores reticulate.

a. Elaters with projecting rings.

1. OLIGONEMA NITENS, Lib. Sporangia subglobose, irregular, sessile, closely crowded and heaped upon each other, the wall thin, yellow, smooth and shining. Mass of capillitium and spores yellow; elaters simple or sometimes branched, 3-4 mic. in thickness, with a few distant projecting rings, the surface smooth between, or with very faint spirals, the extremities obtuse, or sometimes with a minute apiculus. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, the surface reticulate, 11-14 mic. in diameter.

Growing in small patches on and within rotten wood. Sporangia .4-.5 mm. in diameter; the elaters variable, some with as many as a dozen projecting rings, some with but a few or nearly smooth. Trichia nitens, Libert.

2. OLIGONEMA PUSILLA, Schr. Sporangia subglobose, irregular, sessile, scattered or collected together in heaps; the wall thin, yellow, smooth and shining. Mass of capillitium and spores yellow; elaters simple or sometimes branched, 4 mic. in thickness, sometimes with thicker inflated portions, the surface marked with low faint spirals or perfectly smooth; the extremities rounded and usually terminating in a smooth point, 3-5 mic. in length--this point either curved, bent to one side or turned back, and twisted around the extremity as a ring. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, the surface reticulate, 11-14 mic. in diameter.

Growing in small clusters in rotten wood. Sporangia .3-.5 mm. in diameter; the elaters variable in length, scarcely exceeding 100 mic. and often much shorter. Trichia pusilla, Schroeter.

b. Elaters with no projecting rings.

3. OLIGONEMA FLAVIDUM, Peck. Sporangia obovoid to oblong, sessile, closely crowded and irregular from mutual pressure; the wall thin, yellow, shining, punctulate or minutely granulose. Mass of spores and capillitium yellow; elaters simple or sometimes branched, 3-4 mic. in thickness, sometimes with thicker inflated portions; the surface punctulate or minutely warted, occasionally marked with very faint spirals; the extremities usually rounded and obtuse, sometimes acute, and rarely with a minute apiculus. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, the surface reticulate, 11-14 mic. in diameter. See Plate I, Fig. 24.

Growing in dense patches on old wood and mosses. Sporangia .4-.6 mm. in diameter, and reaching 1 mm. in height, the elaters usually rather long, sometimes quite long and branched.

4. OLIGONEMA BREVIFILA, Peck. Sporangia subglobose, irregular, sessile, crowded, forming clusters or effused patches; the wall thin, yellow, densely granulose and venulose. Mass of capillitium and spores ochre-yellow; elaters simple or sometimes branched, often very short and fusiform, when elongated having long tapering extremities, sometimes with irregular swollen portions; the surface minutely granulose and rugulose, here and there a few spinules, occasionally with indistinct spirals. Spores angularly or irregularly globose, the surface reticulate, 11-12 mic. in diameter.

Growing on old wood and mosses. Sporangia .4-.5 mic. in diameter, the elaters varying greatly in length, some not more than 20 or 30 mic. long, others more than 100 mic. in length.

B. Spores minutely warted.

5. OLIGONEMA FULVUM, Morgan n. sp. Sporangia rather large, subglobose, sessile, closely crowded and more or less irregular; the wall tawny yellow, very thin and fragile, smooth, shining and iridescent. Mass of capillitium and spores tawny yellow; elaters simple or sometimes branched, mostly very short, 4 mic. in thickness, sometimes with thicker swollen portions; the surface marked with low smooth spirals, in places faint and obsolete; the extremities rounded and obtuse, usually with a very minute apiculus, 1-3 mic. in length. Spores globose, minutely warted, 10-13 mic. in diameter.

Growing on an old effused Sphæria. Sporangia .6-.8 mm. in diameter, the elaters mostly 40-80 mic. in length, rarely much longer and sometimes shorter; the longer elaters and those that are branched often arise from confluence of the shorter ones.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE I.

Fig. 13.--Perichæna depressa, Lib.

Fig. 14.--Ophiotheca Wrightii, B. & C.

Fig. 15.--Lachnobolus globosus, Schw.