Physarum polygonosporum Mosquera, J.M. García-Martín & Lado, 2018

Treviño-Zevallos, Italo, García-Cunchillos, Iván, Basanta, Diana Wrigley De & Lado, Carlos, 2023, Diversity of Myxomycetes from Peru Part III: The high Andes and the altiplano, Phytotaxa 624 (1), pp. 1-92 : 71

141. º Physarum polygonosporum Mosquera, J.M. García-Martín & Lado , in García-Martín, Mosquera & Lado, Eur. J. Protistol. 63: 18 (2018)

Specimens examined. PERU. Ancash: Huari, Huari, Colcas , 10 km south of Huamparán , 3084 m, 9º18′55”S, 77º10′02”W, 12 May 2018, leaves of Festuca peruviana, Lado 26390 (MA-Fungi 97179). Huantar, 3292 m, 9º26′48”S, 77º11′00”W, 13 May 2018, leaves of Festuca peruviana, Lado 26520 (MA-Fungi 97302) . Junin: Tarma, Tarma, route PE-22B, km 20, Cochas Bajo , 3573 m, 11º25′35”S, 75º45′58”W, 30 Apr 2017, leaves of Agave americana, Lado 25593 (MA-Fungi 96746), Lado 25594b (MA-Fungi 96748), Lado 25596 (MA-Fungi 96750) .

Notes. The polygonal, dark spores grouped in chains make this species easily distinguishable. Macroscopically, they are similar to Ph. cinereum , Ph. bitectum , and Ph. clavisporum , but these species have non-polygonal free spores. Until now, it was only known from Mexico and Spain ( García-Martín et al. 2018). It is the first record for South America. In Peru, it was found in the departments of Ancash and Junin, inhabiting the base of the dead leaves of Agave americana .