Steven Stephenson - Secretive Slime Moulds: Myxomycetes of Australia

Commonwealth of Australia 2021

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Steven L. Stephenson, Secretive Slime Moulds. Myxomycetes of Australia. ABRS, Canberra; CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne (2021).

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Cover Photographs

Published by ABRS, Canberra & CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

Printed in Australia by Courtney Colour

Dr Steven L. Stephenson, Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States of America.

Dmitry Leontyev, Department of Botany, H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Valentynivska 2, Kharkiv 61168, Ukraine.

Angela Mele, 4038 Cleveland Ave, Apt. 2E, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States of America.

Peter & Elaine Davison, 148 Bateman Road, Mt Pleasant, Western Australia 6153, Australia.

Bruce Fuhrer, 25 Sunhill Avenue, Ringwood Victoria 3134, Australia.

Teresa & John Van der Heul, 84 Noble Parade, Dalmeny, New South Wales 2546, Australia.

Heino Lepp, PO Box 38, Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory 2616, Australia.

Sarah Lloyd, 206 Denmans Road, Birralee, Tasmania 7303, Australia.

Gabriel Moreno, Edificio Biologa, Fac. Ciencias, Dpt. Ciencias de la Vida (Botnica), Univ. Alcal, 28805 Alcal de Henares, Madrid, Spain.

Yura Novozhilov, Laboratory of Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 197376, St. Petersburg, Str. Prof. Popov, 2, Russia.

John Shadwick, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States of America.

Paul Vallier, 119 Old Maryborough Road, Gympie, Queensland 4570, Australia.

Steve Young, Steve Young Photography, Korora (Coffs Harbour), New South Wales 2450, Australia.

Preliminary pages illustrations: Angela Mele:

page i:Badhamia foliicola

page iii:Cribraria cancellata

page iv: Perichaena vermicularis

page v:Diachea leucopodia

page vi:Stemonitis fusca

Myxomycetes (also known as plasmodial slime moulds or myxogastrids) have been known from their fruiting bodies since at least the middle of the seventeenth century, when the first recognizable description of a member of the group (the very common species now known as Lycogala epidendrum) was provided by the German mycologist Thomas Panckow (). However, since the fruiting bodies produced by some species of myxomycetes can achieve considerable size (those of Fuligoseptica commonly exceed 10 cm or more in total extent), there is little doubt that myxomycetes have been observed in nature as long as mankind has existed. Evidence from molecular studies indicates that myxomycetes have a long evolutionary history and probably were present on the earth several hundred million years ago. Myxomycetes do not have a particularly attractive name, but many examples produce fruiting bodies that are miniature objects of considerable beauty. However, because of their small size, all but the largest and most conspicuous examples tend to be overlooked in nature.

Since their discovery, myxomycetes have been variously classified as plants, animals or fungi ( more than 185 years ago, is derived from the words myxa (meaning slime) and mycetes (referring to fungi). However, myxomycetes are profoundly different from the true fungi and actually belong to another kingdom, the Protista (sometimes called Protoctista).

Approximately 1000 species of myxomycetes have been described to date (

The fact that the vast majority of myxomycetes can be assigned to one of two groups on the basis of the spore colour in mass is not a new concept. It was first proposed by Joszef ). The 1925 edition is noteworthy in the context of the present monograph because it contains references to species of myxomycetes that had been reported from Australia prior to the third decade of the twentieth century.

The first report of myxomycetes from Australia was by the Reverend Miles ) relating to myxomycetes appeared during the major portion of the second half of the twentieth century. Only one of these (Ing & Spooner, who reported 16 species) mentioned more than a few species.

The first truly comprehensive checklist of the myxomycetes of Australia (). Moreover, a number of specimens collected in Australia are problematic and have not yet been assigned to any currently recognized species. In some cases, these probably represent incompletely developed or aberrant specimens, but in some instances it is likely that they are undescribed species.