ema_ Rost., _Mon._, p. 208.

Sporangia gregarious, scattered, globose, silvery gray or bronze,
iridescent, erect, stipitate; stipe black, long, two-thirds to
three-fourths the total height, slender, rigid; columella slender,
cylindric, attaining about one-third the height of the sporangium when
it breaks into the primary branches of the capillitium; capillitium
exceedingly intricate, made up of slender, flexuous brown threads which
frequently branch and anastomose to form an elegant round-meshed network
resembling that of _Arcyria_, free ultimate branchlets not numerous;
spores in mass jet-black, by transmitted light violaceous, smooth, or
only faintly warted, 6-8 mu.

In outward appearance this species resembles _L. physaroides_, but is
easily recognizable by its very peculiar capillitium. This, in its
primary branching, resembles a comatricha. In typical forms, the
columella branches at the apex only, generally into two strong divisions
which then break up irregularly and anastomose in every direction. This
seems to have been the form present to Rostafinski when he wrote
"columella truncate." In Central American and some North American
specimens, the branching is very different; the twigs leave the
columella at various points almost down to the annulus, and the entire
effect is dendroid. The columella is lost almost at once. A small form
of this species was formerly distributed in the United States as
_Comatricha friesiana_ DeBy. This circumstance led the present author to
describe Central American forms as _C. shimekiana_. Judging from a
remark by Massee (_Mon._, p. 97), a similar confusion seems to have
prevailed in Europe. As a matter of fact, the resemblance between _C.
friesiana_, i. e. _C. nigra_, and the present species is sufficiently
remote.

_Lamproderma minutum_ Rostafinski seems to be a small form of this
species. Rostafinski bases his diagnosis upon the branching of the
columella, which is, as we have seen, inconstant, and upon the colorless
capillitium. This feature in specimens examined is also inconstant.

Occurring in large colonies on barkless decaying logs of various
species; the plasmodium almost colorless.

New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, Nicaragua;
Vancouver's Island; Ontario, Toronto,--_Miss Currie._

=4. Echinostelium= _DeBary_

1873. _Echinostelium_ DeBary, Rost., _Versuch_, p. 7.

Sporangia distinct, globose, minute, the structure limited to a few
imp