llitium is very even the taeniae closely
wound, the elater-ends often furcate.

4. TRICHIA VARIA (_Pers._) _Rost._

PLATE IV., Figs. 3, 3 _a_, 3 _b_.

1791. _Stemonitis varia_ Pers., Gmel., _Syst. Nat._, II., 1470.
1794. _Trichia varia_ Pers., _Roem. Neu. Mag. Bot._, I., p. 90.
1829. _Trichia varia_ (Pers.) Fries, _Syst. Myc._, III., p. 188.
1875. _Trichia varia_ (Pers.) Rost., _Mon._, p. 251.

Sporangia gregarious or sometimes closely crowded, globose, obovoid, or
irregularly globoid, yellowish or ochraceous, shining, sessile, or with
a short black stipe; hypothallus none; capillitium of rather long,
simple, or more rarely branched elaters, 4-5 mu, wide, marked by
irregular spirals generally only two, prominent and narrow and in places
remote, the apices acute, about twice the elater diameter; spore-mass
yellow, spores by transmitted light dull yellow, 12-14 mu, delicately
verruculose, guttulate.

A very common species, very variable in form, stipitate forms occuring
anon beside those which are irregular and sessile. According to
Rostafinski the stipitate phase constitutes the _T. nigripes_ of Persoon
and other authors. The capillitium is, however, characteristic
throughout. The two spiral bands wind loosely and irregularly and
present an elater unlike anything else in the group except the same
structure in _T. contorta_, but here the elater is narrow and the
sculpture obscure. Since the specific distinctions are purely
microscopic, the synonymy beyond Rostafinski is mainly conjectural. It
is possible that Fries properly applied the name.

Common. Maine to Oregon and California, and south to Arkansas and
Alabama.

5. TRICHIA SCABRA _Rost._

PLATE IV., Figs. 4, 4 _a_, 4 _b_.

1875. _Trichia scabra_ Rost., _Mon._, p. 258.

Sporangia closely crowded upon a well-developed hypothallus, regular,
globose or turbinate-globose, orange or golden brown, smooth, shining;
capillitial mass clear, golden yellow, or sometimes rusty orange, the
elaters simple, long, 4-5 mu in width, the spirals three or four, closely
wound, spinulose, even and regular, the apices short, acuminate;
spore-mass concolorous, under the lens spores yellow, covered by a
delicate fine-meshed network, or simply spinulose under low power, 10-12
mu.

Generally a well-marked species, easily recognized by its regular but
roughened capillitial threads. Under a 1-12 objective the spores are
also diagnostic. To the unaided eye it resem