Myxomycetes isolated from submerged plant material collected in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas

Abstract

Samples of submerged plant material obtained from streams and other bodies of water at 11 different collecting sites in management units of the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas were used to prepare 90 moist chamber cultures for the isolation of myxomycetes. These cultures were maintained in the laboratory for 10 weeks, during which they yielded 14 species representing 12 genera. This total included five species (Licea belmontiana, Craterium concinnum, Diachea bulbillosa, Oligonema schweinitzii, and Physarum echinosporum) not recorded previously for the Big Thicket National Preserve and one species (D. bulbillosa) new for the state of Texas. Although usually not included in biodiversity surveys for myxomycetes, our data suggest that submerged plant material may support a few species that may be missed if only terrestrial habitats are considered.