s globose, rough, violaceous brown, 8
mu.

This is _L. irideum_ of Cooke and of Massee's _Monograph_. Its
capillitium is remarkable, and constitutes an easy diagnostic mark. The
threads appear at first sight entirely simple, but are really several
times furcate, and not infrequently anastomose. The spores are covered
with sparsely sown large papillae, easily seen under moderate
magnification.

This is one of our earliest species. To be sought in May on beds of
decaying oak leaves in the woods, especially in wet places, near
streams, etc.

Rare. New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa.

5. LAMPRODERMA VIOLACEUM (_Fries_) _Rost._

1829. _Stemonitis violacea_ Fries, _Syst. Myc._, III., p. 162.
1875. _Lamproderma violaceum_ (Fries) _Rost., Mon._, p. 204.

Sporangia closely gregarious or scattered, depressed-globose, more or
less umbilicate below, metallic blue or purple, sessile or short
stipitate; stipe stout, dark brown or black, even; hypothallus, when the
sporangia are crowded, a thin, continuous, purplish membrane; when the
sporangia are scattered, the hypothallus discoidal; columella cylindric
or tapering slightly upward, the apex obtuse, black, attaining the
centre of the sporangium; capillitium lax and flaccid, made up of
flexuous threads branching and anastomosing to form a network, open in
the interior, more dense without, the threads at first pale brown as
they leave the columella, becoming paler outward to the colorless tips;
spores minutely warted, violaceous gray, 9-11 mu.

This is our most common species; found on decaying sticks and logs late
in the fall. Its pale capillitium will usually distinguish it,
especially where the sporangia are empty; then the pallid free
extremities of the capillitial branches give to the little spheres under
the lens a white or hoary appearance not seen in any other species.

The plasmodium is at first almost transparent, then amber tinted,
sending up tiny semi-transparent spheres on shining brownish stalks. As
the changes approach maturity, the sporangia become jet-black, and only
at last when the spores are ready for dispersal does the peridium assume
its rich metallic purple tints. Colonies a meter in length, two or three
decimeters in width, are sometimes seen!

New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
South Dakota; Toronto. Common.

6. LAMPRODERMA ARCYRIONEMA _Rost._

PLATE V., Figs. 1, 1 _a_.

1875. _Lamproderma arcyrion