Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (O.F. Müll.) T. Macbr.

Stephenson, Steven L. & Kahlert, Bryce, 2018, Myxomycetes associated with canopy organic matter in temperate rainforests of southern New Zealand, Phytotaxa 360 (2), pp. 161-166 : 164

Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (O.F. Müll.) T. Macbr.

Represented by four specimens (including 31364, 31365 and 31391), on canopy litter (pH 5.1 to 5.5). Like Arcyria cinerea , this species is considered to be cosmopolitan ( Martin & Alexopoulos 1969), although it is not found at high latitudes where woody substrates are absent ( Stephenson et al. 2000). Since Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa is almost invariably associated with decaying wood, the records on canopy litter would seem surprising. This species was first reported from New Zealand by Cooke (1879).

It should be noted that members of the genus Ceratiomyxa have long been considered to be myxomycetes, although they differ in a number of important respects (e.g., spores are formed individually on stalks on the surface of the fruiting body, whereas in myxomycetes the spores develop inside the fruiting body, with the latter surrounded [at least in the early stages] by a peridium). It has been suggested that Ceratiomyxa should be regarded as a sister group to the true myxomycetes. However, species of Ceratiomyxa still tend to be considered in surveys for myxomycetes, which is the approach taken in this paper.