shes of the net small, scarcely greater than
the diameter of the spores; spore-mass umber brown; epispores
reticulated, with ten or twelve meshes to the hemisphere, 5-7 mu.

This is a beautiful, and, as it seems to us, a very distinct, species.
The markings on the epispore are sufficient to identify it. These are
conspicuously banded somewhat as the spores of _Trichia favoginea_, for
example. In habit, size of the sporangia, and capillitial branching,
this species recalls _Comatricha typhoides_ (Bull.) Rost. All the
sporangia examined are, however, plainly stemonitis in type, possessing
the characteristic superficial net.

Until further light this may stand as offered in the first edition. Miss
Lister prefers to enter it, banded spores and all, with the comatrichas,
on account of color, size and occasional default (?) of surface net.

Virginia, _Dr. Rex._

8. STEMONITIS WEBBERI _Rex._

PLATE XI., Figs. 6, 7, 8.

1891. _Stemonitis webberi_ Rex, _Proc. Phil. Acad._, p. 390.

Sporangia clustered, usually in small tufts 1 cm. wide, rusty brown in
color, 8-10 mm., including the stipe, which is jet black, shining, and
much expanded at the base; hypothallus continuous, well-developed, a
thin, transparent pellicle; columella black, tapering upward, giving off
at intervals the capillitial branches, and becoming dissipated just
below the obtuse apex; inner capillitial network very open, the branches
far apart, anastomosing but a few times before breaking into the surface
net to form large, irregular meshes, 50-125 mu; spores minutely
roughened, fuscous, 8-9 mu.

These three forms, 8, 9, 10, are sometimes entered as varieties of a
single species. Dr. Rex himself was inclined to take that view. There is
no doubt of close similarity; it is a question of clearness in our
dealing with the subject.

All three forms occur abundantly in the Mississippi Valley, but are
generally,--always, as it seems to the writer,--distinguishable by the
hand-lens. If we take No. 9 as type, 10 has an eccentric columella; 8 is
shorter, about 1 cm., of a different tint, Dr. Rex even says "spores
ferruginous in mass". To the west and southwest, the capillitium becomes
coarser, more decidedly brown. In short, however similar in presentation
the phases may sometimes appear, it would seem that each at its best is
distinct enough for immediate recognition.

West of the Mississippi River chiefly: Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, Oklahoma,