FAMILY POLYANGIACEAE 



1033 



B. Cyst group an oblate spheroid, yellow. Points of cysts less numerous. 



3. Synangium thaxteri. 



1. Synangium sessile (Thaxter) Jahn. 

 {Chondromyces sessilis Thaxter, Bot. 

 Gaz., 37, 1904, 411; Jahn, Beitnige zur 

 botanischen Protistologie. I. Die Poly- 

 angiden, Geb. Borntraeger, Leipzig, 

 1924, 79.) 



Etymology: Latin sessilis, sessile, not 

 stalked. 



Swarm stage (pseudoplasmodium) :Not 

 described. 



Fruiting body : Cysts form on the base 

 a clump or rosette without trace of stalk. 

 Diameter of rosettes 100 to 250 micron.s. 

 Individually the cysts are quite variable 

 in form, irregularly spindle-shaped, usu- 

 ally short-pointed, wrinkled surface 

 toward the tip. At the base they fuse or 

 unite to irregular masses. Cysts 18 to 

 55 by 25 to 75 microns, average 40 by 50 

 microns. 



Source and habitat : Thaxter (loc. cil.) 

 found this on decaj'ing wood in Florida. 



Illustration: Thaxter {loc. cit.) PL 27, 

 Figs. 14-15. 



2. Synangium lanuginosiim (Kofier) 

 Jahn. {Chondromyces lanuginosus Kofier, 

 Sitzber. d. Kais. Akad. Wiss. Wien. 

 Math. -Nat. Klasse, 122 Abt., 1913, 861; 

 Jahn, Beitrage zur botanischen Protis- 

 tologie. I. Polyangiden, Geb. Born- 

 traeger, Leipzig, 1924, 79.) 



Etymology : Latin lanuginosus, woolly. 



Swarm stage (pseudoplasmodium) :Not 

 described. 



Fruiting body : Cyst cluster, consisting 

 of united cysts, spherical or oval, 80 to 

 200 microns in diameter, when dry, dark 

 flesh-colored, covered with hairs 15 to 50 

 microns long, originating from the indi- 

 vidual cysts and giving the cyst cluster 

 the appearance of a hairy ball. Skin of 



the cysts not definite. Rods within the 

 cysts 3 to 6 microns. The cyst clusters 

 are terminal on more or less forked stalks, 

 about 1 mm high. 



Source and habitat: Kofler {loc. cit.) 

 found this on rabbit dung at Vienna. 



Illustrations: Kofier {loc. cit.) PI. 1, 

 Figs. 1-3. 



3. Synangium thaxteri (FauU) Jahn. 

 {Chondromyces thaxteri Faull, Bot. Gaz., 

 62, 1916, 226; Jahn, Beitrage zur botan- 

 ischen Protistologie, I. Die Polyangiden. 

 Geb. Borntraeger, Leipzig, 1924, 79.) 

 Regarded as a synonj^'m of Synangium 

 lanuginosum bj- Krzemieniewski, Acta 

 Soc. Bot. Poloniae, 4, 1926, 39. 



Etymology : Named for Dr. Roland 

 Thaxter, American botanist. 



Swarm stage (pseudoplasmodium): 

 Cultured for 2 years on dung, best in 

 mixed cultures. Rods 0.5 by 3 to 6 

 microns. 



Fruiting body : Fruit cluster flattened, 

 spherical, yellow to flesh color or red- 

 dish-orange, with a stalk which varys in 

 length, about 140 microns in diameter. 

 The bristles corresponding to the single 

 cysts are 15 to 30 microns long, at the 

 base 10 to 12 microns wide. Sometimes 

 cyst single, usually 3 to 4, occasionally 

 20 to 30. Rods 0.5 by 3 to 6 microns. 

 Stalk maximum length 0.75 mm, usually 

 350 microns, single or branched. Broad 

 based, narrowing to apex and yellow in 

 color. In germination rods move from 

 basal scar of membrane, leaving the 

 empty sack behind. 



Source and habitat : On deer dung in 

 Ontario, Canada (Faull). 



Illustrations: Faull {loc. cit.) PI. 5 

 and 6. Jahn {loc. cit.) Fig. X, p. 80. 



Genus III. Melittangium Jahn. 



(Jahn, Beitrage zur botan. Protistologie. I. Die Polyangiden, Geb. Borntraeger, 

 Leipzig, 1924, 78.) 



Etymology: Greek melitta, bee and angion, vessel, because of the honey -comb 

 pattern of the membrane. 



