First records of Myxomycetes associated with members of the Cactaceae in Australia
Steven L. Stephenson A and Todd F. Elliott![https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9304-7040](/media/client/orcid_16x16.png)
A Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
B Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
Australian Journal of Botany 70(8) 531-538 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT22032
Submitted: 22 March 2022 Accepted: 2 December 2022 Published: 21 December 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Context: Cacti are endemic to North and South America, but numerous species have been spread all over the world after Europeans visited the Americas. Their global spread has impacted various aspects of terrestrial ecosystems, including the distributions of succulenticolous myxomycetes.
Aims: In this study, we examine the association of myxomycetes (also known as plasmodial slime moulds or myxogastrids) with three introduced species of cacti in Australia.
Methods: Using the moist chamber culturing technique we prepared 33 cultures from dead portions of three species of cacti collected in New South Wales and Queensland.
Key results: Eighty-eight percent of moist chamber cultures yielded evidence of myxomycetes (either plasmodia or fruiting bodies). A total of 12 species representing six genera were recorded. Physarum compressum was the most abundant species (appearing in 20 of the 33 cultures), with species such as Perichaena depressa also relatively common. We also report the first records of Perichaena luteola in Australia.
Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the assemblages of myxomycetes associated with members of the Cactaceae in Australia, and we highlight the occurrence of succulenticolous myxomycetes on the continent.
Implications: This study leads to a better understanding of the biogeography, distribution and ecology of succulenticolous myxomycetes. We also add a new species record for Australia.
Keywords: Amoebozoans, biogeography, Harrisia, microbial ecology, moist chamber cultures, Opuntia, slime moulds, succulenticolous myxomycetes.
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