This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lado, C. Articles by de Basanta, D. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Lado, C. Articles by de Basanta, D. W. Agricola Articles by Lado, C. Articles by de Basanta, D. W.

Description and culture of a new succulenticolous Didymium (Myxomycetes)

     Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014, Madrid, España

A. Estrada-Torres

     Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, km 10.5 carretera Texmelucan-Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla, 90122, Tlaxcala, México

E. Beltrán-Tejera

     Departamento de Biología Vegetal (Botínica), Universidad de La Laguna, 38071, La Laguna, Tenerife, España

D. Wrigley de Basanta

     Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, España

A new succulenticolous Myxomycete species, Didymium wildpretii, found on decaying remains of various species of cacti, is described from two arid zones of the world. This species was collected from central Mexico, at the southern limit of the Chihua-huan Desert, and from the Canary Islands (Spain). The new species has small, pale yellow sporocarps, 0.1–0.7 mm high, that are sessile or have short, orange-yellow, calcareous stalks and small, uniformly warted spores. The stability of the taxonomic characters of the species was confirmed with both moist chamber cultures and spore-to-spore culture on agar. Life cycle events are described from germination to sporulation. Myxomycete specimens were examined with scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy, and micrographs of relevant morphological details are included.

Key words: agar culture, arid zones, life cycle, moist chamber culture, morphogenesis, taxonomy