Mycobiology.  2008 Sep;36(3):143-147. 10.4489/MYCO.2008.36.3.143.

Identification of Diachea leucopodia on Strawberry from Greenhouse in Korea

• Lee JH
• Han KS
• Bae DW
• Kim DK
• Kim HK

• KMID: 1487333
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4489/MYCO.2008.36.3.143

Abstract

We have detected the slime mold, Diachea leucopodia (GNU06-10) in a strawberry greenhouse located in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam. Typical fruiting bodies had developed gregariously on the strawberry leaves, petioles, and plant debris on ground soil habitat, and also surprisingly on plastic pipes and a vinyl covering. Field samples were examined via stereomicroscopy, light microscopy, and SEM for the determination of morphological characteristics. Dark-brown to black spores formed gregariously within the stipitate cylindrical sporangium, and were covered by an iridescent peridium, which may be intact at maturity, or may have disintegrated. The upper portion of the peridium generally breaks up to expose the spores, whereas the lower portion was usually persistent. The results of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) analysis showed that lime was present in the stalk and columella but absent from the spores, capillitium, and peridium. The above characteristics confirm its taxonomic position in the genus Diachea. However, this genus is intermediate in character between the Physarales and Stemonitales of the Myxogastromycetidae. Hence, this genus had been classified as a member of the Stemonitales until the mid-1970's, on the basis of its iridescent peridium and noncalcareous capillitial system, similar to Comatricha of the Stemonitaceae. By way of contrast, emphasis on morphological characteristics, most notably the calcareous stalk and typical columella, places Diachea within the order Physarales. The presence of a phaneroplasmodium during the trophic stage and lime deposition in its sporophores, as was confirmed in this work, supported the inclusion of Diachea in the Physarales, and the noncalcareous capillitial system verified its identification as a member of the Didymiaceae. Further characteristics of the species D. leucopodia include the following: phaneroplasmodium, spore globose 7.5 microm in diameter, very minutely roughened; sporangia 500 microm x 1mm, more or less cylindrical, gregarious, stalked 1.2mm; stalk and columella white.

Keyword

Diachea leucopodia; Digital mapping; Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry; Slime mold; Strawberry

MeSH Terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids
Calcium Compounds
Ecosystem
European Continental Ancestry Group
Fragaria
Fruit
Fungi
Humans
Korea
Light
Microscopy
Oxides
Piperazines
Plants
Plastics
Soil
Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
Sporangia
Spores
Alkanesulfonic Acids
Calcium Compounds
Oxides
Piperazines
Plastics
Soil