1787. _Stemonitis fusca_ Roth, _Röm. Mag. Bot._, I., p. 26. 1875. _Stemonitis fusca_ (Roth) Rost., _Mon._, p. 193. 1892. _Stemonitis fusca_ Rost., Massee, _Mon._, p. 72. 1895. _Stemonitis fusca_ Roth, List., _Mycetozoa_, p. 110. 1899. _Stemonitis fusca_ (Roth) Rost., Macbr., _N. A. S._, p. 115. 1899. _Stemonitis maxima_ Schw., Macbr., _N. A. S._, p. 116.
Sporangia tufted, generally in small clusters 6-8 mm., the individual sporangia slender, cylindric, blue-black or fuscous, becoming pallid as the spores are lost, stipitate; stipe short, about one-fourth the total height, black, shining; hypothallus scanty, but common to all the sporangia; columella prominent, attaining almost the apex of the sporangium, freely branching to support the capillitial net; capillitium of slender dusky threads, which freely anastomose to form a dense interior network, and outwardly at length combine to form a close-meshed net; spores pale, dusky violet, usually beautifully spinulose-reticulate, but sometimes warted or spinulose only, or nearly smooth, 7-7.5 µ.
As here set out the description is intended to include _S. maxima_ Schw. of the former edition. Rostafinski, Mon. _l. c._, describes _S. fusca_ Roth. as having "spores smooth." Since most American gatherings have reticulated spores, and since Schweinitz described a black American species, his specific name seemed appropriate for all except smooth-spored forms.
In the meantime two things have happened; Mr. Lister has examined the specimens remaining in the Strasburg herbarium and finds them with reticulate spores. The statement quoted from the _Monograph_ evidently does not apply to _all_ of Rostafinski's material; but under the circumstances the name _fusca_ may easily take the field, especially since another discovery makes for the same conclusion. The evidence is good that _S. maxima_ Schw. was indeed the largest, i. e. perhaps, the _tallest_ stemonitis he ever saw! probably, as his scanty herbarium-remnant shows, _S. fenestrata_ Rex!
Sporangia tufted, generally in medium-sized clusters much as in _S. fusca_. The individual sporangium 7-9 mm. high, dark, slender, brown, becoming dull black or pallid as the spores are lost, stipitate, the stipe about one-fourth to one-third the total height, black polished shining; hypothallus distinct, common to all sporangia, purple-brown, shining; columella distinct, attaining almost the summit of the sporangium but inclined to waver a little at last, in other words, flexuose toward the top, freely branching, the branches rather stout, anastomosing to support the capillitial net; the meshes larger, several times the spore-diameter, the spores sooty-brown, distinctly warted or spinulescent, about 7-8 µ, clustered in groups of four or more.