[19] Prior to Persoon the physarums were variously referred: _Lycoperdon_, _Sphaerocarpus_, _Trichia_, etc. It seems unnecessary to quote the synonymy further here. [20] Persoon's first-named species is _P. aureum_; see _Roemer Neu. Mag. f. d. Bot._, I., p. 88. 1794. [21] Fries (_Sum. Veg. Scand._, p. 454) described the new genus in the following words: Tilmadoche. Fr. Physari spec. S. M. Peridium simplex, tenerrimum (_Angioridii_) irregulariter rumpens. Capillitium intertexto-compactum, a peridio solutum liberum, sporisque inspersis fuscis. Columella o. 1. T. leucophaea. Fr. 2. T. soluta. (Schum.) 3. T. cernua. (Schum.) [22] See also _Inaug. Diss._, H. Roenn, _Schr. d. Naturw. Ver. f. Schl. Holst._, XV., Hpt. I., p. 55, 1911. [23] Inasmuch as there has been decided difference of opinion in reference to this particular species,--all judges readers of the same original description,--it has seemed wise to submit an English translation from the celebrated _Monograph loc. cit._ "24. Physarum diderma _Rfski._ "Sporangia sessile, globose, adnate by a narrow base, white. Peridium double; the outer thick, strongly calcareous, very distinctly set off from the thin inner one by an air-filled space; the calcareous nodules many, angular, loosely developed within to form a pseudo-columella; spores dark violet, spinescent, 9.2-10 in diameter. "_Opis._ This physarum looks extremely like a diderma. "The sporangia stand either aggregated or bunched together in heaps of five to twelve, adnate to the hypothallus by a narrow base, etc." Massee, _Mon._, p. 304, translated this description, but misunderstood what is said of the columella and is inclined to think the author did not know a diderma when he saw one; which is pretentious, to say the least! [24] See also, after all our trouble, _Jour. Bot._, LVII., p. 106. [25] See Fries, _Syst. Myc._, Vol. III., pp. 130, 137, Rost., _Mon._, p. 127, and _Rep. N. Y. State Mus._, XXXI., p. 55. [26] It would seem that M. Massee would have written _T. reniformis_, were this authentic. [27] For further synonymy, see under _P. auriscalpium_, No. 49. [28] Robt. E. Fries, _Ofvers. K. Vetens. Akad. Forh._, 1899, No. 3, p. 225. [29] The Polish author wrote Tilmadoche instead of Physarum in each case cited. [30] Forms cited are chiefly those likely to be found in our neighboring tropics, West Indies, etc. [31] These little structures have a fairly architectural appearance and may be called trabecules,--trabeculae, little beams. [32] Dr. Cooke, who used the microscope, applied the _Monograph_ description to British forms occurring on leaves; proceeded further and found the same situation in New York. Mr. Massee gives the species wide range with spores 8-10 mu; average 9 mu; only a fraction too large; evidently none 12-15 mu.