to more than half the sporangium, giving off on all sides the
brownish-violaceous, flexuose threads of the capillitium, somewhat
thickened and broadly attached to the persisting peridial cup; spores
lilac-brown, spinulescent, 7-8 mu.

Another border species, looking to the lamprodermas. Philadelphia, by
courtesy _Mr. Bilgram_.

13. COMATRICHA PULCHELLA (_Bab._) _Rost._

PLATE XIII., Fig. 4, and PLATE XII., Figs. 16 and 16 _a_.

1837. _Stemonitis pulchella_ Bab., _Trans. Lin. Soc._, p. 32.
1841. _Comatricha pulchella_ Bab., Berk., _Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist._,
I. vi., p. 431, Pl. XII., 11. _a._ _b._
1848. _Stemonitis tenerrima_ Curtis, _Am. Jour._, VI., p. 352.
1873. _Stemonitis tenerrima_ Berk. & C., _Grev._, II., p. 69.
1876. _Comatricha pulchella_ (Bab.) Rost., _Mon. App._, p. 27.
1875. _Comatricha persoonii_ Rost., _Mon._, p. 201.
1894. _Comatricha persoonii_ Rost., List., _Mycet._, p. 122.
1899. _Comatricha pulchella_ (Bab.) Rost., Macbr., _N. A. S._, p. 129.
1899. _Comatricha persoonii_ Rost., Macbr., _N. A. S._, p. 132,
_excl. syn._
1911. _Comatricha pulchella_ Rost., List., _Mycet., 2nd ed._, p. 156.
1911. _Comatricha pulchella_ var. _gracilis_ Wing., List., _Mycet.,
2nd ed._, p. 156.

Sporangia very minute, 1 mm. high, scattered, ovate or ovate-cylindric
acuminate, pale brown or ferruginous, stipitate; stipe short, black,
nearly even; hypothallus none, or merely a circular base to the tiny
stem; columella straight, gradually tapering, reaching almost if not
quite to the apex of the sporangium; capillitium dense, a network of
flexuous brown threads, rather broad within, ending in slender tips
without; spore-mass brown, spores by transmitted light pale "lilac
brown," or pale ferruginous, minutely but uniformly warted, 6-8 mu.

Probably widely distributed but rarely collected. Pennsylvania, Iowa;
_Okoboji_. Toronto,--_Miss Currie._

14. COMATRICHA ELLISII _Morg._

PLATE XII., Figs. 15 and 15 _a_.

1894. _Comatricha ellisii_ Morg., _Jour. Cin. Soc._, p. 49.
1899. _Comatricha laxa_ Rost., Macbr., _N. A. S._, p. 127.
1911. _Comatricha nigra_ Schroet., List., _Mycet., 2nd ed._, p. 152.

Sporangia short, erect, oval or ovoid to oblong. Stipe and columella
erect, brown and smooth, rising from a thin pallid hypothallus, tapering
upward and vanishing into the capillitium toward the apex of the
sporangium, the stipe usually longer than the columella.