Physarum aeneum

Physarum aeneum is a slime mold species from the order of the Physarida. It is one of the few slime mold species that are found mainly in the tropics and subtropics.

Features

The plasmodium of Physarum aeneum is black, the fruiting bodies are usually over several centimeters through extensive and heaping in groups called Plasmodiokarpe, can be formed reticulate the simple, branched or. They are colored from pink to brown, light olive, gray or bronze, have a shiny or iridescent surface and a diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters. Often the Plasmodiokarpe are still surrounded by sessile, approximately round sporangia.

The membranous Hypothallus is hardly ever greater than the Plasmodiokarp and dark brown to blackish. The peridium is double-layered: the occasional Kalkknötchen having outer layer is brittle, cartilaginous, wrinkled and gloss to matt, the membranous inner layer dazzling.

The net-shaped, tight scalp consists of transparent threads that bind small, round to oval, light yellow to medium brown, sometimes whitish colored Kalkknötchen together. The diameter 7-9 (rarely 6-10 ) micrometer measured, almost smooth to finely spiny spores are in the ground brown, individually in transmitted light pale violet or purple-brown, occasionally found on groups of larger, darker warts.

Dissemination

Physarum aeneum is native to North America, the West Indies and South America. A single fund exists in Taiwan. The species colonized dead wood and leaves, to pile light brown foliage they often form large colonies conspicuous, dark brown networks.

System

The holotype was collected in 1896 or 1897 to Dominika on palm leaves, first described by Arthur Lister in 1898 as a variety of Physarum murinum and erected by Robert Elias Fries in 1903 as a separate species.

Evidence

• Myxogastrien
• Myxogastria