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 Physarum bogoriense
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 short plasmodiocarp, scattered to gregarious, globose to more or less elongated or reticulate, 0.5–6.0 mm long and 0.3–0.6 mm wide. Hypothallus usually inconspicuous. Peridium consisting of three layers, the outer layer smooth, reddish brown to beige, yellow, or nearly white, closely fused with the white middle layer, inner layer membranous, rugulose, colourless or whitish to purplish or brownish, sometimes iridescent, occasionally flecked with scattered lime granules, dehiscence apical, with the outer two layers breaking up into angular or areolate fragments above and into more or less triangular, reflexed lobes at the sides. Capillitium consisting of numerous large, white, rounded or branching lime nodes and slender, hyaline connecting filaments. Spores usually free but occasionally clustered, dark brown in mass, pale to bright violet-brown by transmitted light, 7.5–10.0 µm in diameter, nearly smooth to somewhat irregularly warted. Plasmodium unknown.
Habitat: Dead leaves and other types of plant debris.
Distribution: Predominantly tropical (Farr 1976) but occasionally occurring in temperate regions of the world (Martin & Alexopoulos 1969). First reported from New Zealand by Rawson (1937), based on specimens collected in Dunedin. Also known from Auckland.
Notes: Although not common in New Zealand, this species is occasionally found on the decaying fronds of nikau palm (Stephenson 2003). It is similar morphologically to Physarum hongkongense but differs in colour of the peridium and the type of dehiscence.
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