The North American Slime-Moulds Part 50

1849. _Lindbladia_ Fries, _Sum. Veg. Scand._, p. 449.

Fructification aethalioid; the sporangia short, tubular, sometimes superimposed, sometimes forming a simple stratum, in the latter case generally sessile, but sometimes short-stipitate, the peridium at first entire, at length opening irregularly either at the sides or apex, beset with granules; spores olivaceous.

This genus was established by Fries in 1849 to accommodate a single species of wide distribution and somewhat varying habit, which is neither a tubifera nor yet a cribraria and offers points of resemblance to each. It is distinct in that the sporangia, while often in single series, are yet often superimposed. It resembles _Tubifera_ in its simple sporangia, opening without the aid of a net; it is like _Cribraria_ in the smooth ochraceous-olivaceous spores and granuliferous peridium.

1. LINDBLADIA EFFUSA (_Ehr._) _Rost._

PLATE I., Figs. 3, 3 _a_, PLATE XII., Figs. 1, 2.

1818. _Licea effusa_ Ehr., _Sylv. Myc. Ber._, p. 26.

1875. _Lindbladia effusa_ (Ehr.) Rost., _Mon._, p. 223.

1879. _Perichaena caespitosa_ Peck, _Rep. N. Y. Mus._, x.x.xI., p. 57.

Sporangia minute, either closely combined and superimposed, so as to form a pulvinate aethalium, or crowded together in a single layer, sessile, or short-stipitate; the peridia thin, membranous, marked by scattered plasmodic granules, often l.u.s.trous, sometimes dull lead-colored or blackish, especially above; stipe, when present, very short but distinct, brown, rugulose; hypothallus well developed, membranous, or more or less spongiose in structure; spore-ma.s.s ochraceous, under the lens, nearly smooth, almost colorless, 6-7.5 .

This very variable species has been well studied by Dr. Rex. See _Bot.

Gaz._, XVII., p. 201. In its simpler phases it presents but a single layer of sporangia generally closely crowded together, sometimes free and even short stipitate! In the more complex phase the sporangia are heaped together in a pulvinate ma.s.s in which the peridia appear as boundaries of minute cells. In this case the outermost sporangia are often consolidated to form a cortex more or less dense and s.h.i.+ning. In any case the hypothallus is a prominent feature; generally laminated and of two or three layers, it is in the more hemispheric aethalia very much more complex, sponge-like. When thin this structure is remarkable for its wide extent, 40-50 cm.! The simpler forms approach very near to _Cribraria_ through _C. argillacea_. The most complex remind us of _Enteridium_.

This is _Perichaena caespitosa_ Peck. In this country it has, however, been generally distributed as _L. effusa_ Ehr. This author throws some doubt on the species he describes by suggesting that the plasmodium may be _red_. The description, however, and figures are otherwise good and are established by the usage of Rostafinski. The plasmodium has much the same color as the mature fruit.

Widely distributed. New England to the Black Hills and Colorado, south to Arkansas. California, about Monterey.

=2. Tubifera= _Gmelin_

1791. _Tubifera_ Gmelin, _Syst. Nat._, II., p. 1472.

Sporangia tubular, by mutual pressure more or less prismatic, connate, pale ferruginous-brown, iridescent, the walls thin, slightly granular, long-persistent; dehiscence apical; hypothallus thick, spongiose, white or whitish; spore-ma.s.s ferruginous.

This genus is easily recognized by the tubular sporangia, dest.i.tute of capillitial threads, seated upon a strongly developed hypothallus. The synonymy of the case is somewhat difficult. It is possible that Mueller's _Tubulifera ceratum, Fl. Dan._, Ellevte Haefte, 1775, p. 8, may belong here, but neither the text nor the figures make it certain.

Neither he nor OEder, who gives us _T. cremor_ in the same work, had any accurate idea of the objects described. Gmelin's description of _Tubifera_, II., 2, 1472, is, however, ample, and his citations of Bulliard's plates leave no doubt as to the forms he included. Gmelin writes: "Thecae (membranae expansae superimpositae) inter se connatae seminibus nudiusculis repletae."

Why, in face of so good a description, Persoon changed the name to that since current, _Tubulina_, is not clear.

Fries thinks Mueller had an immature _Arcyria_ before him, _Syst. Myc._, III., p. 196. _Tubulifera arachnoidea_ Jacq., 1778, is also an uncertain quant.i.ty, insufficiently described.

=Key to the Species of Tubifera=

_A._ Hypothallus well developed, but not conspicuous.

_a._ Pseudo-columellae none 1. _T. ferruginosa_

_b._ Pseudo-columellae present at least in many of the tubules 2. _T. casparyi_

_B._ Hypothallus prominent, columnar 3. _T. stipitata_

1. TUBIFERA FERRUGINOSA (_Batsch_) _Macbr._

PLATE I., Fig. 4; PLATE VII., Fig. 8; PLATE XII., Fig. 14.

1786. _Stemonitis ferruginosa_ Batsch, _Elench._, p. 261, Fig. 175.

1791. _Sphaerocarpus cylindricus_ Bull., _Champ._, p. 140, t. 470, III.

1791. _Tubifera ferruginosa_ Gmelin, _Syst. Nat._, 1472 (_ex parte_).

1805. _Tubulina cylindrica_ (Bull.) DC., _Fl. Fr._, 671.

1875. _Tubulina cylindrica_ (Bull.) Rost., _Mon._, p. 220.

1894. _Tubulina fragiformis_ (Pers.) Lister, _Mycetozoa_, p. 153.

Sporangia crowded, cylindric or prismatic, elongate, connate, more or less distinct above, pale umber-brown, generally simple though occasionally branched above, the peridia thin, sometimes fragile, but generally persistent, transparent, iridescent; hypothallus strongly developed, spongiose, white, often projecting beyond the aethalioid ma.s.s of sporangia; spore-ma.s.s umber-brown or ferruginous; spores by transmitted light almost colorless, plainly reticulate over three-fourths of the surface, 6-7 .

Not rare on old logs, mosses, etc., from Maine to Alaska. Apparently more common north than south. Easily known by its long, tubular sporangia packed with rusty spores and dest.i.tute of any trace of columella or capillitium, the hypothallus explanate, rather thick, but not columnar. A single plasmodium may give rise to one or several colonies, at first watery or white, then red, of somewhat varying shades, then finally umber-brown. These colors were noticed by all the older authors, but very inaccurately; thus a white plasmodium is the basis for _Tubifera cylindrica_ (Bull.) Gmel., a roseate plasmodium for _Tubifera fragiformis_ (Bull.) Gmel., and the mature fructification for _Tubifera ferruginosa_ (Batsch) Gmel. Rostafinski adopted a specific name given by Bulliard, but Batsch has clear priority.

The peridia are sometimes acc.u.minate, and widely separate above. This is Persoon's _T. fragiformis_. In most cases, however, the peridia are connate throughout, and sometimes present above a membranous common covering. This is _T. fallax_ of Persoon; _Licea cylindrica_ (Bull.) Fries. In forms with thicker peridia, the walls often show the granular markings characteristic of the entire _Anemeae_.

2. TUBIFERA STIPITATA (_Berk. & Rav._) _Macbr._

1858. _Licea stipitata_ Berk. & Rav., _Am. Acad._, IV., p. 125.[39]

1868. _Licea stipitata_ Berk. & Rav., _Jour. Linn. Soc._, X., p. 350.

1875. _Tubulina stipitata_ (Berk. & Rav.) Rost., p. 223.

Sporangia crowded in a globose or more or less hemispheric, expanded head, borne upon a spongy, stem-like, sulcate hypothallus 3-4 mm. high, their apices rounded, their walls very thin, evanescent; spores in ma.s.s umber-brown, small, about 5 , the epispore reticulate as in the preceding species.

This differs from number 1 chiefly in the cus.h.i.+on-like receptacle on which the crowded sporangia are borne, and in the smaller spores. The species originates in a plasmodium at first colorless, then white, followed by salmon or buff tints, which pa.s.s gradually into the dark brown of maturity. This peculiar succession of colors is perhaps more diagnostic than the difference in habit. The spores are, however, constantly smaller in all the specimens we have examined, and the stipitate habit very marked.

New England, New York, south to South Carolina, and west to South Dakota; our finest specimens are from Missouri.

3. TUBIFERA CASPARYI (_Rost._) _Macbr._

PLATE XII., Fig. 9.

1876. _Siphoptychium casparyi_ Rost., _Mon. App._, p. 32.

Sporangia closely crowded, tubular, cylindric or prismatic by mutual pressure, connate, the apices rounded, convex, covered by a continuous membrane, umber-brown; the peridia firm, persistent, minutely granular, iridescent; hypothallus well developed, thin, brown, explanate; pseudo-columellae erect, rigid, traversing many of the sporangia, and in some instances bound back to the peridial walls by slender, membranous bands or threads, a pseudo-capillitium; spore-ma.s.s dark brown or umber, spores by transmitted light pale, globose, reticulate, 7.5-9 .

This is _Siphoptychium casparyi_ Rost. In _Bot. Gaz._, XV., p. 319, Dr.

Rex shows that the relations.h.i.+ps of the species are with _Tubifera_; that the so-called columella is probably an abortive sporangium, the so-called capillitial threads having no h.o.m.ology with the capillitial threads of the true columelliferous forms. It is a good species of _Tubifera_, nothing more. The tubules are shorter than in either of the preceding species; the spores are darker, larger, and more thoroughly reticulate.

The plasmodium is given by Dr. Rex, _l. c._, as white, then "dull gray tinged with sienna color," then various tones of sienna-brown, to the dark umber of the mature aethalium.

New York, Adirondack Mountains; Allamakee Co., Iowa.

=3. Alwisia= _Berk. & Br._