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 Lamproderma columbinum
SynonymsPhysarum columbinum
Lamproderma columbinum var. gracile
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 stalked sporangium, scattered or gregarious, 2–5 mm tall. Sporotheca globose or ellipsoid, 0.5–1.0 mm in diameter. Stalk relatively long, usually at least two-thirds or more of the total height, slender, nearly cylindrical, black. Hypothallus discoid, dark purple. Peridium persistent (especially at the base of the sporotheca), rich violet or purple with a metallic iridescence. Columella cylindrical, with a conic or somewhat blunt tip, one-third to one-half the height of the sporotheca. Capillitium originating from all parts of the columella, rigid, sparingly forked at the centre, then anastomosing to form a large-meshed open net, brownish purple. Spores black in mass, smoky brown by transmitted light, minutely warted, 10–13 µm in diameter. Plasmodium white.
Habitat: Decaying wood, usually that of conifers, almost invariably with bryophytes also present; also known to occur on mats of bryophytes over peat or soil and on moss-covered rocks.
Distribution: Known from Europe, temperate North America, Asia, and Australia (Martin & Alexopoulos 1969). First reported from New Zealand by Rawson (1937), based on a specimen from Dunedin.
Notes: The relatively long stalk and the fact that this species is almost invariably associated with bryophytes are usually enough to recognise Lamproderma columbinum.
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