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 Physarum decipiens
BiostatusPresent in region - Indigenous. Non endemic
Article: Stephenson, S.L. (2003). Myxomycetes of New Zealand. Fungi of New Zealand. Ngā Harore o Aotearoa 3: xiv + 238 p. Hong Kong: Fungal Diversity Press.
Description: Fruiting body a sessile sporangium (or rarely with a short, weak stalk) or sometimes plasmodiocarpous, gregarious, depressed globose to pulvinate, 0.3–0.7 mm in diameter. Hypothallus inconspicuous. Peridium consisting of a single layer, membranous, dull to bright yellow or orange, sometimes rugulose, usually impregnated with yellow lime granules and often marked with red or orange dots or streaks. Capillitium consisting of white, yellow or dull orange lime nodes, these angular or branching, sometimes with only a few connecting threads and then badhamioid. Spores dull black in mass, rather pale violet brown by transmitted light, minutely spiny, 10–13 µm in diameter. Plasmodium yellow.
Habitat: Decaying wood, often fruiting on associated bryophytes
Distribution: Recorded from widely scattered localities throughout the world and possibly cosmopolitan (Martin & Alexopoulos 1969, Ing 1999) but often confused with other species, a situation that does not allow its distribution to be determined completely. Reported from New Zealand by Stagg (1982), based on a specimen from Otago Lakes.
Notes: Physarum decipiens is very similar morphologically to Physarum serpula (Farr 1961) but its fruiting body is more likely to be a sporangium and the capillitium tends to be rather badhamioid. The latter condition is so pronounced that some authors have placed P. decipiens in the genus Badhamia (as B. decipiens).
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