Hemitrichia calyculata, Myxomycetes Explained

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Ken Ramos
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Hemitrichia calyculata, Myxomycetes Explained

Post by Ken Ramos »

In a previous post in Macro, I displayed the Myxomycete, Hemitrichia calyculata. At times I get rather carried away with my subjects and do forget that there are those who do not share my interests and more than likely probably would if they only knew what I was ranting on about. My apologies to those who I may have left in my enthusiastic wake. :oops:

First let me say that Myxomycetes are marvelous creatures in the natural world. They are both an animal and a non-flowering plant or fungi. For those of you who are familiar with protozoa you may ask, "whats the big deal, there are many organisms that are both plant and animal." Yes indeed my friends there are many that share those attributes but this one is much different in that it begins life as an animal only and then begins a transition to becoming a non-flowering plant or fungi. Also known as a "fruiting body."

When the spores are released from a Myxomycete, they contain an amoeba. A microscopic single celled living organism capable of performing all the physiological functions of a much higher form of multicellular animal life. These amoeba, when conditions are right, will fuse with one another to form a "plasmodium." A very large single multinucleate ( having many nuclei) cell, that is no longer microscopic but quite visible to the naked eye.

Here is that single cell or "Plasmodium," at a mag. of 10X :D

Image

As this plasmodium grows and begins to feed on bacteria and releasing the much needed nutrients back into the environment from that feeding, it will eventually begin a change or transition to becoming a Myxomycete or fruiting body as seen in the next photo, of which I have already posted in Macro but this one having been labled as to the structures referenced in that post.

Image

The "capillitum" of which I mentioned is labled as to location and this is where the spores are kept in, as you can see, a tightly woven mesh like structure. Remember, each of these microscopic spores contain an amoeba, a single celled animal.

Next is the "calyculus" or what is left of the peridium. The "peridium" is shown in the very first post that I made of H. calyculata, it is bright red in that image.
http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... php?t=2698

The "peridium" is what originally covers the "capillitium" until the spores are mature and ready for dispersal. Then the peridium splits and peels away, becoming the calyculus, exposing the capillitum and spores. Once the spores are released and come into contact with a suitable moist substrate, such as a piece of damp decaying wood or damp and rotting leaves, they will germinate, releasing the amoeba to fuse with one another and then form once more, the "plasmodium." :D
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Kenneth Ramos
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Kens Microscopy
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