MYXOMYCETES IV

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:14 pm

A plasmodium? Or massive fructification ?

Canon Pro90 IS
Micro Explorer EM3500 closeup lens (Image 2)
Existing light

A myxomycete plasmodium on the move? Moving from left to right? Scale can be determined from dried pine needles in the first image.

I am hoping that I am correct here as I never found anything exactly descibing the globous nature and lack of veining or advancing fan shape seen in this specimen. Remember I am only an amateur. What do you think Ken?

Walt

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:43 am

Walt asked:

What do you think Ken?

I think your doing a great job of finding these things, whats the weather like up there? Must not be too cold yet for myxo's, maybe I am missing out and had better get a few days in the field in before it really gets cold.

Well Walt we both seems to be drinking pretty much from the same well, Stephenson references Diachea leucopodia as having a white plasmodium and from what I have read, they are a rare find. Then again could this be the early stages of fruitification for Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa? Take a look at Fig 6-13 pg. 94 and , to many variables here, the early stages of fruitification for S. axifera sort of resemble this also, Plate 1. I would suggest keeping an eye on it and see what develops. It indeed resembles a plasmodium (first image). The fanning out being shown towards the right of the first image and what appears to be the remenants of protoplasmic flow to the left, with a little evidence of veining in the upper left.

These are some very good image and need to be kept for reference of course. I too am going to add your images of this to my files. If and when fruiting occurs be sure to grab a few samples and examine the spores to see what their structure is like. Stephenson gives us a key to identifying them in his book so that should help quite a bit.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:45 am

All I know is, I`m learning quite a bit about them, getting to look at some cool pictures of them and can`t wait to hunt some down

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:37 am

Is it something between amoeba and fungi?

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:30 am

Thanks for your research there Ken. I just don't know at this point but my fun is in finding and imaging. By the way I didn't mean to mislead, but you are seeing the fruitifications, ya ya ya, of years of work here. They are not all from recent field trips. This one I recorded years ago and it vanished into the log.

I am still finding some now even after a freeze under logs and spots were the wind has not blown off all the spores.

And MacroLuv, if I am correct it is... a mass of amoebic cells joined together. Look up the plasmodium of the myxomycete for more info.

Walt

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:59 am

Nikola asked:

Is it something between amoeba and fungi?

Well sort of Nikola but not exactly. The spores produced in the fruiting bodies contain a tiny amoeba, this amoeba is known as a myxoamoeba. There are two types of amoeba involved and this can get tricky. When the spore germinates, a single amoeba is released. Now this amoeba can be flagellated or non-flagellated, however, the amoeba has the uncanny ability to change its form from flagellated to non-flagellated and vice versa. When another suitable myxamoeba is encountered they fuse together forming a zygote and by a series of synchronous nuclear divisions a plasmodium is formed, being a multinucleate structure. I always like to refer to plasmodia as being giant amoebas, which in a sense I am going to assume that they are. As for being a fungi, I really do not see a connection here, though some mycologist may argue my statement and some may not. I think these wonderful little creatures are fine just being myxomycetes.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:49 am

Ken, it souds a little like what goes on with Lichens, a kind of symbiosis.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 3:47 am

Cyclops replied:

it souds a little like what goes on with Lichens, a kind of symbiosis.

No, this is one single creature actually. The two amoeba are no different from each other when they fuse, although they both can change from one form to the other until they do fuse to form the plasmodium. Amoebo-flagellates are most common when there is free water in the environemnt in which the spores germinate but even still, the amoeba might change back to the non-flagellated form.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:05 am

So they really are fascinating 'creatures'!

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:16 am

Ken, I have a differant well that you may consider drinking from. The diagrams are a little small but very extensive.

The Genera of Myxomycetes, G.W. Martin, C.J. Alexopoulos and M.L. Farr, Univ of Iowa Press

Walt