''Cribraria'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
slime mold
Slime mold or slime mould is an informal name given to a polyphyletic assemblage of unrelated eukaryotic organisms in the Stramenopiles, Rhizaria, Discoba, Amoebozoa and Holomycota clades. Most are near-microscopic; those in the Myxogastria ...
s from the group of
Myxogastria
Myxogastria/Myxogastrea (myxogastrids, ICZN) or Myxomycetes ( ICN) is a class of slime molds that contains 5 orders, 14 families, 62 genera, and 888 species. They are colloquially known as the ''plasmodial'' or ''acellula ...
. It comprises about 30 species, some of which are extremely difficult to distinguish.
Features
The fruiting bodies are usually pedunculated
sporangia
A sporangium (from Late Latin, ; : sporangia) is an enclosure in which spores are formed. It can be composed of a unicellular organism, single cell or can be multicellular organism, multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungus, fungi, and many ot ...
, a
calyculus may be present or absent. The delicate
peridium
The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of gasteroid fungi.
Description
Depending on the species, the peridium may vary from being paper-thin to thick and rubb ...
is reduced to a structure of vertical, thickened threads that are interconnected by extremely fine, translucent transverse threads.
[Michael J. Dykstra, Harold W. Keller: ''Mycetozoa'' In: ''Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa'', John J. Lee, Gordon F. Leedale, Phyllis Bradbury, Society of Protozoologists, 2nd edition, volume 2, pp. 952-981] In some cases, however, the peridium may also appear like a net, as in '' Cribraria '' - species. Mostly dark, clearly visible
dictydine granules are found especially close to the ribs of the peridia, the calyculus and the spores.
[Marie L. Farr: ''Myxomycetes'', New York Botanical Garden, 1976, pp. 88-89]
Distribution
The genus is distributed worldwide, about two-thirds of the species are, however,
eotropicch. Many of their species are common in the respective distribution areas.
Systematics and research history
The genus was first described in 1794 by
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (31 December 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a Cape Colony mycologist who is recognized as one of the founders of mycology, mycological Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy.
Early life
Persoon was born in Cape Colony at ...
, type species is ''
Cribraria rufescens ''.
The genus includes at least 30 species, including:
Species
*''
Cribraria angulospora''
*''
Cribraria argillacea''
*''
Cribraria atrofusca''
*''
Cribraria aurantiaca''
*''
Cribraria cancellata''
*''
Cribraria confusa''
*''
Cribraria costata''
*''
Cribraria cribrarioides''
*''
Cribraria dictyospora''
*''
Cribraria elegans''
*''
Cribraria enodis''
*''
Cribraria exigua''
*''
Cribraria ferruginea''
*''
Cribraria filiformis''
*''
Cribraria fragilis''
*''
Cribraria intricata''
*''
Cribraria irregularis''
*''
Cribraria languescens''
*''
Cribraria laxa''
*''
Cribraria lepida''
*''
Cribraria macrocarpa''
*''
Cribraria macrospora''
*''
Cribraria macrostipitata''
*''
Cribraria martinii''
*''
Cribraria media''
*''
Cribraria meylanii''
*''
Cribraria microcarpa''
*''
Cribraria minutissima''
*''
Cribraria mirabilis''
*''
Cribraria oregana''
*''
Cribraria paucicostata''
*''
Cribraria paucidictyon''
*''
Cribraria persoonii''
*''
Cribraria pertenuis''
*''
Cribraria piriformis''
*''
Cribraria purpurea''
*''
Cribraria rubiginosa''
*''
Cribraria rufa''
*''
Cribraria rutila''
*''
Cribraria splendens''
*''
Cribraria stellifera''
*''
Cribraria tecta''
*''
Cribraria tenella''
*''
Cribraria violacea''
*''
Cribraria vulgaris''
*''
Cribraria zonatispora''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1139879
Myxogastria
Myxogastria genera