FAMILY ARCHANGIACEAE 1017 



FAMILY II. ARCHANGIACEAE JAHN. 



(Beitrage zur botan. Protistologie, I. Die Polj^angiden. Geb. Borntraeger, Leipzig, 

 1924.) 



In the organisms belonging to this family the swarm (pseudoplasmodium) produces 

 irregular swollen or twisted fruiting bodies, or develops columnar or finger-like 

 growths, usually without a definitely differentiated membrane. 



Key to the genera of family Archangiaceae. 



I. Fruiting body depressed, usually irregularly delimited, the interior usually con- 

 sisting of swollen or intestine-like twisted or inter-twined masses, whose wind- 

 ings may be constricted or may jut out (project) as free ends. 



Genus I. Archangiurn, p. 1017. 

 II. Fruiting body consists of single (separate) columnar or finger-like structures 

 arising from the substrate. 



Genus II. Stelangium, p. 1020. 



Germs I. Archangiiun Jahn. 



(Jahn, Beitrage zur botan. Protistologie, I. Die Polj^angiden. Geb. Borntraeger, 

 Leipzig, 1924, 67 ; Ophiocystia Enderlein, Bermerkungen zur Systematik der Chondro- 

 myciden, Berlin, 1924, 6 pp.) 



Etymology: Greek arche, primitive, and angion, vessel (according to Jahn, this 

 genus is the most primitive). 



The mass of shortened rods embedded in slime forms a pad-shaped or more rounded, 

 superficially swollen or tuberous fruiting body, even with horny divisions. The 

 fruiting body has no membrane. In the interior can be seen a mass resembling coiled 

 intestines. The windings of this coil may be uniform, or irregularly jointed, free or 

 stuck together ; the ends may be extended and horny. Instead of a membrane there 

 may be loosely enveloping slime. 



The type species is Archangiurn gephyra Jahn. 



Key to the species of genus Archangiurn. 



I. No slimy capsules. 



A. Fruiting body usually wound, irregularly constricted, sometimes swollen 



and vesicular, appressed. 



1. Fruiting body red. 



a. The shortened rods 2.5 to 3 microns. 



1. Archangiurn gephyra. 

 aa. The shortened rods 4 to 6 microns. 



2. Archangiurn primigenium. 



2. Fruiting body yellow. 



3. Archangiurn flavum. 



B. Tube usually uniformly thick, loosely wound, often branched. 



4. Archangiurn serpens. 



II. Fruiting body consisting of a reddish coiled tube, embedded in yellow slime. 



5. Archangiurn thaxteri. 



1. Archangiurn gephyra Jahn. {Chon- botanischen Protistologie. I. Die Poly- 

 dromyces serpens Quehl, Cent. f. Bakt., angiden, Geb. Borntraeger, Leipzig, 

 II Abt., 16, 1906, 16; Jahn, Beitrage zur 1924, 67.) 



