124 Plafit Biology 



cells or myx amoebae (mik sa -me' be) (Gr. myxa^ slime; amoibe, change), 

 each having one to two flagella. Locomotion is by flagella or by the 

 formation of pseudopodia. Two myxamoebae fuse to form a zygote 

 (zi'gote) (Gr. zygotos, joined) by a process somewhat like sexual repro- 

 duction. Several zygotes may join to form a new Plasmodium in which 

 the nuclei are not fused. There are approximately 300 species. Slime 

 molds are considered more in detail in a later chapter. 



Examples: Stemonitis (Fig. 35) and Lycogala (Fig. 35). 



\ounq sporanqlum 



' \' Sporanqium 



Spore 



Beginning of o 



sporancjium 



Sporan (jiophote 



HyphaXi 



D L 



-Sporartqium Uv^ 



-Hypha f^: 



Fig. 36. — Black bread mold (Rhizopus nigricans) of the phylum Eumycophyta, 

 class Phycomycetes. A, Portion of mycelium; B, sporangium (enlarged and with 

 escaping spores) ; C, germination of spore into mycelium; D-F, conjugation of 

 hyphae (+ and -) to form a zygote; G-J, formation and germination of zygospore. 

 Stages A-C show asexual spore formation; stages D-J show sexual spore (zygospore) 

 formation. 



8. Phylum Eumycophyta (yu mai -kof i ta) (Gr. eu, true or good; 

 mykes, fungus; phyta, plants). — These true, higher fungi include the 

 algalike fungi of the class Phycomycetes, the sac (ascus) fungi of the 

 class Ascomycetes, and the basidium (club) fungi of the class Basidio- 

 mycetes. 



