MYCETOZOA 



297 



being surrounded by a resistant wall (b). These cysts may live as 

 long as three years. Upon return of favorable conditions, the 

 contents of the sclerotia germinate, fuse together, and thus again 

 produce plasmodia (c-e). 



Fig. 135. The life-cycle of the endosporous mycetozoan (de Bary, 

 Lister, and others), a, plasmodium-formation by fusion of numerous 

 myxamoebae; b, c, formation of sclerotium; d, e, germination of sclero- 

 tium and formation of Plasmodium; f, portion of a Plasmodium show- 

 ing streaming protoplasmic thickenings; g, h, formation of sporangia; 

 i, a sporangium opened, showing capillitium; j, a spore; k, germination 

 of spore; 1, myxamoeba; m, n, myxoflagellates; o-q, multiplication of 

 myxoflagellate; r, microcyst; s, myxamoeba. Variously magnified. 



When lack of food material occurs, the Plasmodium undergoes 

 changes and develops sporangia. The first indication of this 

 process is the appearance of lobular masses of protoplasm in 

 various parts of the body (/, g). These masses are at first con- 

 nected with the streaming protoplasmic thickenings, but later 

 become completely segregated into young sporangia. During the 



