Guide to the British Mycetozoa (Classic Reprint): Exhibited in the Department of Botany, British Museum (Natural History): Exhibited in the Department ... Museum (Natural History) (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Explore the world of slime molds and their hidden life cycles

This field guide presents the British mycetozoa exhibited in the Department of Botany at the British Museum (Natural History). It focuses on the life history of this group, from the first swarm-cells to fully formed plasmodia and the development of sporangia. Rich illustrations show the diverse forms and striking colors, from white and yellow to purple and violet, as the organisms grow, feed, and reproduce.

Through clear, step-by-step descriptions, the book explains how swarm-cells move, feed on bacteria, and multiply, how plasmodia stream and explore their food, and how sporangia produce spores. It also covers resting stages, like sclerotia, and how these organisms reawaken when conditions improve. The text is grounded in observations and preparations that reveal the remarkable life cycles of these soft-bodied fungi-like organisms.

• Learn the sequence from spores to swarm-cells, then to plasmodia and sporangia.


• See how plasmodia move in rhythmic streams to seek food and expand in size.


• Discover the variety of shapes, colors, and surface textures across species.


• Understand resting stages and how rehydration restarts the life cycle.

Ideal for natural history readers, microscopy enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the hidden lives of slime molds.

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