Donald T. Kowalski

The Myxomycete Taxa Described by Charles Meylan

SUMMARYAll of the genera, species, and varieties of myxomycetes described as new by Charles Meylan are discussed and a nomenclatural type is selected for each. Short discussions of the taxonomic me...

The Species of Lamproderma

SUMMARYTwenty-one species of Lamproderma are recognized as distinct and valid. Included is a key to the species and accompanying detailed descriptions. Two new species are described, namely, L. mac...

The Genus Lepidoderma

Six species of Lepidoderma are recognized as distinct and valid. The genus is basically montane and its major features are the typically non-calcareous capillitium and the crystalline scales on the...

Observations on the Genus Lamproderma

SUMMARYIt is proposed that the genus Lamproderma be recognized mainly on the basis that most of the capillitium arises from the apex of the columella. It is considered that the presence of a persis...

The Genus Diacheopsis

The genus Diacheopsis is characterized by noncolumellate, sessile fructifications which lack lime and contain brown spores. The four existing species are regarded as valid, and two new species, D. effusa and D. serpula, are described. Three of the species, D. effusa, D. metallica and D. serpula, are snowline myxomycetes, and three, D. depressa, D. insessa and D. pieninica, are basically lowland in distribution. A key to the species and detailed descriptions are included.

Laboratory Cultivation of Licea Alexopouli

SUMMARYLicea alexopouli Blackw. was successfully cultivated in the laboratory. This study represents only the second species in the genus Licea reported to have completed its life cycle on an artif...

Two New Alpine Myxomycetes from Washington

Two new species of Myxomycetes are described from the mountains of Washington. Licea hepatica appears to be restricted to leafy liverworts and is characterized by sessile, minute sporangia, 100-120 t, in diameter, which have thin, iridescent peridia indistinctly divided into platelets. Comatricha anastomosans forms stalked, elongated sporangia whose peridia persist as well-defined basal cups. The most distinctive characteristic of this taxon, however, is the lateral fusion of the sporangia by interconnections of the capillitia.

Two New Members of the Physarales

This paper deals with two new species of Myxomycetes collected in Northern California. Collecting in this area has yielded many rare and new taxa, two of which, Didymium aurantipes Brooks & Kowalski (1966) and Lamproderma fusiforme Kowalski (1966), were recently described. Including the species to be described below, the total num? ber of Myxomycetes now reported in print from California is 179. Considering the relatively restricted nature of my collecting, it seems probable that at least 225 species of slime molds should be found in Cali? fornia. Also, taking into account that there are only approximately 500 known species, it is apparent that the State is a region rich in Myxomycetes. This undoubtedly is due to the many different habitats present. Unless otherwise stated, the numbers listed are my own. Type mate? rial has been deposited in the Herbarium of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and in the Herbarium of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Three New Species of Diderma

Three alpine species of Diderma are described as new. Diderma brooksii forms sporangia which contain a large, clavate columella that may attain the apex of the sporangium and a capillitium which forms a distinct, well-defined reticulum. Diderma subcaeruleum forms sessile sporangia which have a thin, bluish gray or steel-gray peridium that appears single. Diderma nigrum forms sessile sporangia that are dark brown or black in color, dehisce in a stellate fashion, have a triple peridium with the middle layer noncrystalline, and the spores often have warts of different sizes which are irregularly distributed.

A New Foliicolous Species of Licea

Seven collections of a species of Licea are considered to represent a distinct and undescribed species. All of the collections were made in a small Eucalyptus grove 6 miles north of Chico. Eucalyptus groves are excellent habitats for myxomycetes in general. The fallen leaves and sloughed bark will often pile up a foot or more thick under the trees. This deposition can then act as a natural damp-chamber as it takes many weeks for this habitat to dry out after the heavy winter rains have ceased. In addition to numerous other species of slime molds, Diderma subincarnatum Kowalski fruits abundantly in this area. It was while I was examining a collection of this species under a stereoscopic microscope that I accidentally found the new species of Licea. I then returned to the locality and collected more material of D. subincarnatuwm with the hope of finding additional fruitings of the Licea. The trip was successful. The new Licea was repeatedly found on the decaying Ezlcalyptus leaves in association with this species. Finally, I returned once again to gather more specimens of D. subincarnatum. This time, however, none was to be found. Because of this, I just collected a large shopping bag full of decayed leaves that had slime tracks on them. A search under the stereoscopic microscope revealed that approximately one out of four of the leaves had sporangia of the new Licea on their surface. Thus, this species is very abundant in the Eucalyptus grove and is not particularly associated with D. subincarnatum. Type material has been deposited in the Herbarium of the University of California, Berkeley, California (UC); the University of Iowa Herbarium, Iowa City, Iowa (IA); the University of Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor, Michigan (MICH); The University of Texas Herbarium, Austin, Texas (TEX); and the private herbariuml of the author.