FAMILY POLYANGIACEAE 



1035 



Swami stage (pseudo Plasmodium) : 

 Kofler states rods are 2 to 5 microns in 

 length. 



Fruiting bodies : Cysts usually short, 

 almost spherical, compact, rounded above, 

 orange-red changing to chestnut-brown, 

 single on a white to yellow hypothallus 

 constituted from the slime remaining 

 behind. A definite "foot" of whitish 

 slime is seldom observed. Fifty to 

 hundreds together. Usually about 80 

 microns high and 40 to 50 microns broad 

 above, smaller below, often spherical 

 cysts 60 microns in diameter. Rods in 

 cysts 0.6 by 4 microns. 



Jahn believes the European form to be 

 distinct from that described by Thaxter. 

 Thaxter's form produces cystophores 60 

 to 300 microns long which wither at 

 maturity so that cysts appear sessile. 



Source and habitat : Thaxter {loc. cit.), 

 horse dung in laboratory cultures, Massa- 

 chusetts. Kofler (Sitzber. d. Kais. Akad. 

 Wiss. Wien. Math. -Nat. Klasse, 122 Abt., 

 1913), mouse dung. Jahn (1924) common 

 on manure of different kinds, also on bark 

 covered with lichens. Krzemieniewski 

 (Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., 5, 1927, 102) re- 

 ported this species from Polish soil, 

 but rare. 



Illustrations: Thaxter (loc. cit.) PI. 

 31, Figs. 16-19. Quehl, Cent. f. Bakt., 

 II Abt., 16, 1906, PI. 1, Figs. 4. Jahn 

 {loc. cit.) PI. I, Figs. 7, 8, and 9. Krze- 

 mieniewski, Acta Soc. Bot. Poloniae, 4, 

 1926, 1, PI. V, Figs. 52-53. 



2. Podangium lichenicolum (Thaxter) 

 Jahn. {Chondromyces lichenicolus Thax- 

 ter, Bot. Gaz., 17, 1892, 402; Jahn, 

 Beitrage zur botanischen Protistologie. 

 I. Die Polyangiden, Geb. Borntraeger, 

 Leipzig, 1924, 81.) 



Etymology: Greek lichen, tree moss, 

 lichen. Latin -colus, dwelling. 



Swarm stage : Reddish, rods cylin- 

 drical, tapering slightly, 0.6 by 5 to 7 



microns. Germinate readily after dry- 

 ing for 18 months when sown on moist 

 lichens. 



Fruiting bodies : Cysts single, rounded 

 or irregularlj' lobed, often confluent. 

 Cj'stophore short, squarish, often lacking 

 or misshapen. Cysts 28 to 35 microns, 

 stem 7 to 8 by 10 microns. 



Source and habitat: Thaxter (1892), 

 parasitic upon living lichens, which it 

 destroys, New Haven, Conn. Thax- 

 ter (1904, loc. cit.), lichens, Indiana, on 

 algae, seen on wet boards, in mill race, 

 Massachusetts. 



Illustrations: Thaxter (1892, loc. cit.) 

 PI. 23, Figs. 20 to 23. Quehl, Cent. f. 

 Bakt., II Abt., 16, 1906, 9, PI. 1, Fig. 6. 



3. Podangium gracilipes (Thaxter) 

 Jahn. {Chondromyces gracilipes Thax- 

 ter, Bot. Gaz., 23, 1897, 406; Jahn, Bei- 

 trage zur botanischen Protistologie. I. 

 Die Polyangiden, Geb. Borntraeger, Leip- 

 zig, 1924,82.) 



Etymology: Latin gracilipes, slender 

 footed. 



Swarm stage: Rods 5 to 7 microns. 



Fruiting bodies : Cysts bright orange- 

 red, or red, 25 by 35 microns, elongate, 

 rounded, on a white pointed stalk, rigid 

 and persistent on substratum, rods also 

 in stalk. Shortened rods in cyst 3 to 5 

 microns. Cysts sometimes pear-shaped, 

 caducous. 



Source and habitat : Thaxter (loc. cit.), 

 from rabbit dung, Massachusets. Kofler 

 (1913, loc. cit.), dung, Vienna. Jahn 

 (loc. cit.) relatively common. Twice on 

 rabbit dung near Berlin, once on goat 

 dung in Norwa3^ Krzemieniewski (1927 

 loc. cit.) reported this species from Polish 

 soil, but rare. 



Illustrations : Thaxter {loc. cit.) PI. 31, 

 Figs. 20-24. Quehl, Cent. f. Bakt., II 

 Abt., 16, 1906, PI. 1, Fig. 12. Jahn 

 {loc. cit.) PI. II, Figs. 19, 20. Krzemien- 

 iewski (1926, loc. cit.), Pi. V, Fig. 54. 



